


Tales of Two Ninjas

by MagmaWrites



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Drama, F/M, Fox Demon Uzumaki Naruto, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:52:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 161,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7695469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagmaWrites/pseuds/MagmaWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of unrelated short snippets and one-shots centered around Naruto and Hinata and their past, present and future. (Fox Demon AU, Zombie AU, Fantasy/LotR AU, Samurai AU, Gangster AU, Master/Servant AU, Spy AU, Superhero AU, Hogwarts AU, Arranged Marriage, etc.) NaruHina.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One-Shot 1: Fox Demon AU

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me very active on FF.net but I'm giving this site a try. 
> 
> Tales of Two Ninjas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a universe where demon hosts were hated and hunted by humans, where people lived in fear, one child found another. Where looks and names, stereotypes and threats didn't matter. All that did was their growing love for one another, in times of stress and happiness.

She was five when she met him.

They met in the late hours of the night, while the living slept like the dead. It wasn't a lovely first meeting as one would hope in a love story. Their faces were not lit up by the moonlight, eyes staring in wonder at one another. The wind did not gently caress their skin, chilled by the cool night air. They did not have the chance to curiously observe the other before she whispered fierce words, peppered with fright, not for her safety, but his. He had scoffed at the thought. His safety? Please. Who could hurt him?

It was sad, if you think about it. The little boy thought, who could hurt him, not who would. Indeed, he did not think would because he already knows of the evil in hidden in humans. The world thought he was the evil. He didn't know why people were so frightened of him, why they treated him so terribly. They treated him worse than the animals they domesticated to slaughter. They looked at him with fear and hatred in his eyes.

He couldn't help being born as he was. He couldn't help who he was born as.

A demon fox child.

Whiskers marked his cheeks, a fluffy tail protruded from behind, and twitching, triangular, fuzzy ears sat atop his head of golden hair. In all other aspects he resembled a normal, human child. Bright blue eyes, still shining, not yet put out by the horrors the world could hold.

And in this night of quickened heartbeats due to trauma and distress, a quick thought passed her mind. What was the fuss about this boy that lived in the forest? Why would everyone tell tall tales to the children of Konoha in order to make them avoid traveling deep into the woods? Why was fear of this demon fox instilled in all of their minds at such a young age? Why did all the adults wrap their fingers tighter across their children's hands when having to walk near the border of the village and the woods where the infamous demon resided? He looked like a regular boy to her, his expression slightly mischievous and she would be lying if she didn't say he made her just a tad bit nervous. But this boy saved her life.

No, their first meeting wasn't bright like the sunshine. They weren't laughing. They were crouched on the ground, quietly staring at one another with furrowed brows. She wasn't dressed in her prettiest clothing; she was in her pajamas, slightly trembling from the combination of cold and concern. Or was it fear? Not fear of him, he did save her life after all.

Instead, she was covered in dirt, slightly bruised, and very scared. He was splattered with blood. Not his own, and fortunately not hers either. His tail flicked erratically. She never knew anyone with a tail.

It was kind of cute.

To think, just hours ago (or was it minutes? She couldn't tell anymore) she was asleep in her bed, in the safety of the Hyuga compound. Then she was jostled awake and whisked away into the woods. How that man got past all the guards armed with Byakugans she doesn't know, all she knows was the debilitating fear she felt as the Kumogakure head ninja scrambled across the yard, her tiny body tucked under his arm as sleep slowly left her. She saw the trees getting closer and closer and the surprise she felt at being taken from her bed was quickly replaced with the sense of dread that was drilled into her head.

The woods. He was taking her into the woods.

Was he insane?

Kidnapping Hinata Hyuga, daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, and heiress of the clan was ridiculous enough, but entering the forest, home of the demon fox in the middle of the night was on a whole other level. If he treads too deep…if he disturbs the forest enough to bring attention to the demon…

Hinata felt the panic that was growing, creep up and clench her heart.

She screamed and beat her tiny fists futilely, the man just held her tighter.

The Byakugan, she later learned. The Byakugan was why she was so rudely taken from her home.

As the trees grew closer together and the moonlight failed to penetrate the densely packed leaves above, Hinata's attempts of escape grew weaker. She became silent as her kidnapper ran swiftly through the dark. She closed her eyes, squeezing them tight. She knew her father must be on her way to save her.

Crack.

The ninja froze and Hinata's eyes snapped open. The man looked around for the source of the sound and Hinata felt her heartbeat quicken. The bushes rustled and the sounds of twigs snapping underfoot echoed through the silence. The ninja dropped Hinata roughly onto the ground and quickly armed himself with a kunai.

Hinata hissed out in pain when her body made contact with the cold ground, some stones embedding themselves into her skin. She looked up at the man towering before her and then at the surrounding darkness, biting her lip. What was she to do? What could she do? Stay with him to go who knows where and face who knows what, or take a chance and run into the dark forest? Curling her dainty hands into a fist, dirt worked its way under her fingernails. She shakily got onto her knees; the kidnapper was staring at one spot in the distance. He was distracted.

Without thinking Hinata scrambled to her feet and attempted to get away. She didn't know what direction she was going in, or where she was heading, but she knew she had to get away from this man that wanted nothing but her eyes. She hardly made it a few feet when she felt a tug at her short hair. Crying out in pain she found herself on the ground once more.

"Don't try to run away," the man said angrily. "I worked hard to get you out of that damn compound. Getting past your family with those white eyes is no easy feat, Hyuga."

He nudged her with his foot, pushing her into a sitting position. Hinata bit her lip, feeling hot tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She looked up into the darkness, not wanting to make eye contact with the horrid man beside her.

Instead of black shadows she saw saw pinpricks of blue.

She blinked quickly and they were gone.

The forest was oddly quiet now. No sound of insects buzzing, nothing disturbing the leaves.

Hinata felt her hair stand on end. She whipped her head to her left and saw blue. The two blue dots she saw before, but much closer. Close enough that all she saw was blue. She could almost hear his breathing, he was that close.

"What the fu-" the man started in surprise before pulling her away roughly by the hair once more. How could this little boy get into the clearing so quickly? And how could he not notice? And where did he go? "Move!" he yelled at her. She felt splinters and rocks scratching against her skin.

"Stop it!" she finally said.

"Stop it," a voice repeated.

Both the kidnapper and the kidnapped turned their heads to the sound of the new voice. A boy, no older than Hinata stood some distance away from them. His blonde hair glinted in the rays of moonlight that managed to stream through the canopy. His blue eyes shined but his eyebrows were creased and his mouth turned down to a frown.

"Mind your own business, kid," the ninja said with a dark laugh. Hinata continued to stare at the boy in awe. She immediately figured what it was. She grimaced at herself. Who it was. Her eyes followed his tail like a metronome. But the ninja seemed to not realize the danger he was in.

"I don't think she wants to be here," the boy said.

"Do I look like I care what you think?" the kidnapper asked, bending over to grab Hinata again.

"No!" she tried to push him away. She didn't want to be tucked under his arm anymore. She wondered again how far her father could be. How much farther was this ninja planning to run? "Stop!" This time she bit his hand as hard as she could. The man yelped and brought a fist down on her head. She immediately relinquished her hold on him.

He was about to grab for her again when there was a flash of orange and the ninja was pushed far from her, into the shadows. There was a flurry of movement, slashes, claws, sounds of pain and whooshes of a tail, glints of metal, but eventually…silence.

All the while Hinata sat on the ground, the sound of her blood pumping thundering in her ears as she watched the scene before her, white eyes wide and skin pale. Soon the boy came sauntering back to her.

"Are you okay?" he said, crouching down beside her. She nodded mutely, staring at the blood speckled across his clothes. Of all the thoughts that should have crossed her mind in a situation like this she just wondered where a demon fox child could acquire clothing. She did remember hearing some villages complaining about a thief in the night. "Hey, are you-"

"Your arms," she spoke quietly, almost a whisper. His ears twitched. His ears…she noticed were situated on his head. She swallowed, her eyes diverting back to his fingers (whose nails were slightly sharpened, she noticed). "You have some scratches. He hurt you with his weapons."

The boy grinned cheekily. "Eh, no worries. I heal quickly," he said, beating a fist on his chest proudly. "And anyway, he won't hurt you anymore."

She blushed. "Thank you. Thank you very much for helping me."

The boy said nothing, just continued to observe her quietly. Why was she not running? Was she not scared of him? All the others were. Why was she not trying to hurt him? She was a strange creature and he fond himself undoubtedly intrigued by the specimen before him. She shared similar interest as they observed each other silently.

"Are you hurt?" she asked after some time.

He looked surprised. She was worried about him?

"I'm 'kay."

She nodded, tearing her gaze away.

Suddenly he sat up straighter, tail erect, almost like a sensor. She turned to look at him curiously again as his ears turned one way and then the other.

"People are coming," he said aloud.

"My father!" Hinata exclaimed. It had to be. Her absence couldn't have gone unnoticed for too long, especially since she tried calling for some help as she was whisked from the grounds of the Hyuga compound.

Suddenly she remembered all the stories and tales and warnings she was told of the demon fox living in the forest.

But she found herself, surprisingly, not afraid of the boy before her. Was this really the demon fox everyone feared? She remembered mentions of a woman, described as red like fire or like blood. She had no time to ponder on that thought right now though. If this was indeed the demon fox, the people coming to her aid would surely not hesitate to attack the boy.

"You have to go," she whispered urgently.

The boy looked confused. "Why?"

"They will hurt you," she explained, placing her hands on his shoulders to gently guide him away. "Go!"

The boy wanted to laugh. Instead he stared at the hands that rest upon him. He couldn't remember the last time he had human contact that wasn't filled with disgust, hatred, or blood.

Hinata pushed with all her might but he wouldn't budge. She let out a frustrated sigh. "You have to go before they come," she said.

"They can't hurt me."

She bit her lip. Perhaps that was true. She saw his strength. His speed. And at what she could only assume was a young age. "Maybe so," she said aloud. "But…" Would he hurt them? She didn't quite know. He didn't hurt her. She didn't know of any recent causalities in the village caused by the demon. But what did she know? She was only five years old. She was only a child, and who told a kid anything anyway? She pouted. "Please."

He pursed his lips but relented. "Okay."

Then he was gone.

She blinked.

She didn't even see him leave. She didn't get to say good-bye or ask for his name. Did he even have a name?

All thoughts vanished when she saw familiar faces enter the clearing. She was eventually gathered up and taken away from the clearing where the dead ninja lay just meters away from her. She had heard the Hyuga mumbling to one another. What could have happened to kill the man in such a way? They stared at the dark haired girl sitting alone, a little bit bruised and dirty, but basically unscathed. Whatever killed the man had no intention of hurting her.

Everyone was confused.

But everyone knew what killed the man. They had no doubt that it was the infamous demon fox all of Konoha feared. But why would the demon save a life instead of taking one? That is where their confusion lay. No matter, fear for the fox still rang deep in Konoha.

All of Konoha accept one little girl with curious white eyes.

Like the moon, a blue-eyed boy thought, hidden amidst the leaves as he watched her get taken away safely.

.

.

It wasn't too long after that she met him again. She was pulled into the woods by a group of young boys, mocking and taunting the color of her eyes. They forced her to her knees, putting her down for being born a Hyuga, those pretentious pricks. She wasn't like that, she insisted but to no resolve. Pushing her head down, they demanded she apologize. She did, over and over as tears dripped down from her eyes.

She hated this.

These boys insulted her and degraded her and she couldn't do anything about it.

She was weak.

"Hey, stop!"

The boys looked back into the woods in confusion and Hinata's eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice.

There he was again.

He stood before them, tail whipping angrily behind him. "Stop picking on the girl! I'm the demon fox," he seemed to boast. "Fight me if you dare."

The boys seemed to hesitate but they didn't risk engaging the kid before them. They scuttled out of the woods, leaving Hinata on her own.

"Thanks," she said, standing up on trembling feet. That's all she seemed to be doing lately. "Once again, thanks."

He grinned and turned to leave. That was it? "My name's Naruto Uzumaki!" he declared. "Seeya!"

And he was gone once again.

Hinata stared at the spot he was once in and became inspired by his determination and strength. So he did have a name. How come no one told her? She concluded that no one knew. She bent down and picked up a strand of what she could only assume was his fur. It looked a bit red and shined orange in the sun. She smiled. Naruto. It was then that she decided to do her best to become as strong as she could.

The warnings to stay away from him given by the elders faded from an echo to mere whispers in her mind.

.

.

They didn't meet face to face again until many years later. This was not the year.

The little fox boy, curious as always, would often lurk along the border of the village and his home, observing the villagers going about their daily lives. He'd grown fond of a group of kids who were brave enough to play at the outskirts. There was this game they enjoyed. Whoever ventured the deepest inside of the woods won. Simple, but he enjoyed spectating.

Naruto giggled at their antics. He was crouched high in some trees, hidden from their view. He saw a little girl with pink hair, probably around his age of ten years shuffle carefully through the grass. She barely made it five feet in before she stopped.

A boy with red tattoos on his cheeks taunted her playfully before dashing past her, past a round boy eating potato chips, and past a hooded kid that Naruto didn't think talked much.

"Beat that!" the boy said cheekily, hands on his hips.

"I'll pass," said a boy at the edge of the woods. He leaned his spikey head against the trunk of a tree and gazed up at the sky. Another boy with similar dark hair sat down beside him.

The pink haired girl laughed. "C'mon, Sasuke-kun!" The dark haired boy just shook his head and the fox frowned at the put out expression on the strange colored hair girls face. "Ino, you get in here!"

A child with hair lighter than his own stood in the clearing next to a girl with dark hair. The demon fox child shifted in his seat, pushing some leaves out of his way. He caught site of pearly white eyes and he watched her carefully to see how far she would go. Because, indeed, she had to have gone deeper in the forest than any of the children below him, some five years or so ago.

"You first, Hinata!" the blonde girl said.

Hinata, the boy thought. So that was her name.

Hinata blinked a few times, before swallowing tightly. She clenched her little fists and glanced back behind her as if looking out for someone. Then with courage that none of her friends thought she possessed, the Hyuga marched past Sakura, past Choji, past Shino, and past Kiba. She marched on and on, as her friends scrambled to watch her, eyes wide. Her heart was beating fast and Naruto watching her curiously. How far would she go? She almost reached the area he was hidden in when all her friends, all at once, started calling out to her to stop.

Stop she did, right under his tree.

"Okay, fine! Hinata you win, come back!" Kiba shouted nervously, looking around warily.

Naruto watched the friends leave the forest together and venture to a training ground assembled near the woods, situated next to the river. They stayed there for a few more hours before their respective family members came by to fetch them. As the last child left the clearing, the boy sighed, and turned back to venture into the darkness of the trees, his only company the woodland creatures that ran about and the occasional misfit ninja he didn't mind fighting.

.

.

She was twelve when he came before her again. Only this time she didn't need help. Well he didn't know that.

The demon fox was running around the edge of the forest, enjoying the feel of the wind running through his hair and tail. He closed his eyes as he jumped from branch to branch. This. This feeling of freedom was one thing he enjoyed from being so isolated from the rest of the world.

He was just arriving to the training grounds that those kids liked to play when he realized it wasn't abandoned. He came here often to watch those children train. They no longer played with sticks, pretending them to be swords, but were armed with real metal weapons. He watched them spar, his tail flicking eagerly. He wanted to join them. One time the pink haired girl was throwing shuriken at a dummy and he decided to take the chance and greet her.

It didn't go so well.

She had screamed and threw some of the weapons at him, the shurikens flew past him harmlessly, no where near close to hitting him. He just wanted to talk. To play. But she ran back to the village and he disappeared before anyone could come see him.

That didn't stop him to continue trying though. He never really attempted at any more contact but he lingered closer than he normally would. He didn't think any of the kids noticed his presence except those two dark haired boys. And maybe that brown haired kid with the tattoos. He had sniffed the air and looked in the general direction of where he was hiding.

But today he saw one of the rare people that didn't run screaming from him. But she was on the ground, bruised, with blood dripping from her mouth and hands. A brown haired kid, looking slightly older than the both of them towered above her, his palm facing out towards her.

Naruto inhaled sharply and dashed into the field, not caring about the repercussions. He shielded her with his body, a snarl on his face, the fur on his tail sticking up sharply.

The other boy jolted and jumped back, eyebrows creased.

"Get away from Hinata-sama," he demanded, the veins around his eyes pulsing threateningly.

Naruto almost let his confusion show. Him get away fromHinata? He was the one beating her to a pulp.

"Nar-" Hinata started, before stopping herself. He felt a hand grip his arm and he turned to look at her. "Don't hurt him," she pleaded.

"Hinata-sama, what is this?" Neji asked with malice in his voice. "Get away from the Kyubi."

Naruto growled, taking a threatening step closer to the other Hyuga. He hated when people called him names.

"N-no, stop!" Hinata got to her feet and stood between the two. "Neji-niisan, please don't get angry. Don't tell the others," the girl said desperately. "He won't hurt you." She turned and looked at Naruto. "He won't," she said firmly, looking him in the eyes.

"Don't hurt her again," Naruto directed at Neji. The brunet looked surprised as he lowered his hand.

"We were training," Hinata insisted. "I'm okay."

"I'm trying to help her," Neji said cautiously. "And what about you? What do you want with her?"

Naruto looked surprised. What was he doing? "You're strong," he addressed Hinata. "You can do it." He glowered at Neji before he disappeared.

"Neji-niisan!" Hinata said, slightly frustrated. "You scared him away."

Naruto laughed in the woods at her words.

"I scared him?" the boy named Neji exclaimed.

Naruto smirked, weaving his way around the branches, heading home with a smile on his face.

.

.

It wasn't too long later when Hinata heard rumors going around the village that there was a party of people getting ready to hunt the dreaded Kyubi of the forest. Jinchuriki. She sometimes heard that term thrown around in reference to the "beast." But never Naruto. Never that.

Apparently someone saw him in the dead of night taking little things, like clothes and some food. They saw a hint of an orange tail before the blur of color escaped into the forest.

"Is it true?" she asked her cousin one night. "Are they going to go attack-"

"Hinata-sama, you must stay out of it," Neji said, his eyes drilling into hers. "It is my duty to protect you-"

"He has protected me many times before!" she insisted. "I cannot let them hunt for him without giving him any warning."

"He is strong, from what I saw and what I heard."

"Neji…"

"How would you go about warning him?" Hinata bit her lip. Neji sighed and looked at her sadly. "Good night, Hinata-sama."

Later she still lay in bed, unable to sleep. When was this hunting party going to go out? Was it tonight? Tomorrow? Next week? She didn't know but she was scared. Scared for the boy that danced his way into her dreams. That found his way into her thoughts. She sat up. She had to go warn him.

Activating her Byakugan she did her best to sneak out of the compound. She did so successfully; the only person that detected her leaving was Neji, and only because he had an inkling of what she was going to do. But he allowed her to go. The forest was a dangerous place, and not just because of the fox demon. But he believed she could handle this. This was something she had to do.

.

.

Hinata was deep in the woods when she realized she had no idea where she was going.

Ridiculous.

What was she thinking?

Obviously this was done on a whim. She thought she could figure her way back but she was already in deep. Where could Naruto be? The forest was a large place but she was hoping she would be able to sense him. She had her Byakugan activated and easily saw the birds resting in trees, owls flying about, little creatures scurrying to their nests but she couldn't find the one person she was looking for.

She didn't know how long she was looking. Maybe an hour? Two? She shivered in her beige coat and was just about to sit down to rest when she thought she saw something move far away. She concentrated her sight there but whoever it was was moving quickly. She saw orange looking chakra coils blurring through the forest. He was fast. She felt a little relieved.

He appeared before her.

"Hinata?" he asked, stopping almost nose to nose with her. He was hanging upside down from a tree branch above her.

She felt her entire face go red and she let out a yelp, instinctively slamming her head into his. He fell back and rubbed his forehead gingerly.

"Ow, what was that for?" he groaned.

She apologized profusely. "S-sorry, you surprised me."

"You surprised me!" he said.

"Why didn't you dodge?"

"I didn't think you of all people would try and hurt me."

Hinata gasped. "I didn't mean to," she said softly.

"What are you doing in the forest this late at night?" he asked roughly, standing up and wiping some dirt off his clothes. "Don't you know it's dangerous?"

"I-I didn't think you would hurt me…"  
He frowned at her. "Well, of course I wouldn't hurt you," he scoffed. "Anyone else, maybe…" he got quiet, and she could have sworn she saw his eyes flash red for half a second. "Anyway, there are rogue ninja hiding in these woods, and wild animals among other things. What were you thinking?"

She swallowed. "I came to warn you," she whispered. "Some villagers might be coming…I don't know when but they want to hurt you."

Naruto's expression softened. "That's nothing new," he said bitterly. "People try to hurt me all the time."

"It's not right…" she said quietly.

He was silent as he watched her stare at the ground, her fingers pressed together. "Sometimes…" his voice cracked and he trailed off looking sullen.

"You'll be able to beat them, Naruto-kun," she spoke up.

He looked a tad bit surprised at her words but gave a forced laugh. "Yeah! I'm really strong!"

They fell silent before Hinata spoke up again. "When you supported me…I felt like I had become stronger and I started liking myself a little more. It was thanks to you, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto grinned at her. "Yeah, I'm very influential!" his laugh trailed off before he fell silent again. "I may appear strong to you but…that's because I act all tough because I'm so frustrated from always failing…" he thought back at all the times he tried to make contact with the villagers and all the times people screamed and ran away from him or tried to attack him…kill him.

"That's not true…even when you always fail…in my eyes…" Hinata smiled at him. "You're a proud failure!" Naruto stared at her in bewilderment, his ears twitching at her words, his tail slowing. "When I look at you I get an intense feeling in my heart," she was blushing and poking her fingers together again. "Because you're not perfect…because you fail…you have the strength to get back up…because that's what true strength is…you're an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun."

Naruto felt his cheeks redden. You're an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun. Person. Naruto-kun. Not Kyubi. Not Jinchuriki. Not demon fox. Demon child. He grinned. "Thanks, Hinata." His tail started moving excitedly again. "You know, about you, Hinata, I thought you were weird. You didn't run away from me or act all scared. You do get really red sometimes but…a person like you... I really like!"

Hinata's eyes opened wide and she felt the heat emanating from her cheeks.

"Thanks for the warning," he said, smiling gently. "But don't put yourself in danger like this again."

Later Hinata found herself at the outskirts of the village, led by Naruto. She snuck back into the compound and found herself still struggling to sleep. She was too happy. So happy.

Naruto had ran back to a little house situated in the deepest parts of the woods. His late mother left the house to him, a beautiful red haired woman, also host to a fox demon. He lived alone now. Both his parents passed away and he didn't get to know much about them at all except from the pictures that hung on the wall and letters that were crammed in a desk.

He plopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, a large grin on his face.

.

.

Two to three years had passed and there was no hint of the fox demon that haunted the woods outside of Konoha. It seemed that after the hunting party went out (and never returned. Their bodies were discovered some time later, ripped apart and scattered throughout the trees) the demon fox child had left. Rumor had it he grew tiresome of stalking the lands outside their village and moved on to trespass on others.

Hinata sighed as she sat on the ground beside her teammates, tired from training. Kiba had fallen asleep curled up against Akamaru's large, furry body. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and leaned against the wooden post scarred from shuriken, kunai, and blows from peoples fists. Shino rested on his back, arms tucked under his head. She stared off into the forest, missing the sight of blue she'd occasionally see the past years. She closed her eyes. Where could he have gone?

Suddenly she sensed a strong chakra moving in their direction. Her eyes snapped open and she activated her Kekkei Genkai. There it was again. That familiar orange chakra.

Her team was on their feet. Unlike her they weren't happy about the approaching entity. Akamaru let out a growl deep from his throat, his fur standing on end. Shino's bugs were loud and buzzing eerily around him. She got up to her feet, her back pressed against the post when he appeared before her, seeming to not understand the concept of personal space. He ignored her team and grinned at her.

"Don't say a word and come with me," he said, his fangs glinting dangerously.

Hinata felt her heart beating rapidly, her face tomato red, and her teammates had just realized the fox boy had infiltrated their circle.

She couldn't help it.

It was so sudden.

And he looked so much older. His whiskered face was leaner, the baby fat almost completely gone. His hair was messy as usual and his shoulders were so broad, his smile captivating.

She fainted.

When she awoke her teammates surrounded her, looking slightly worried and very confused. Naruto was gone.

She sat up. "Where'd he go?"

"Hinata, what the hell was that about?" Kiba asked, a tad bit pissed off. "That was that fox demon guy!"

"He has a name," she said a bit stiffly. "Did you guys hurt him?"

"Hurt him?" Shino spoke. "No. Why? Because, as strange as it may seem, it didn't look as though he had any intention of harming you. Or us."

"Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, what happened?"

"You fainted, we went in to help you and he was already far from our grasp," Kiba explained. Her fanged friend (she blushed slightly once more, realizing Kiba wasn't her only fanged friend and for some odd reason she found Naruto's fangs a bit…endearing) seemed to hesitate. "He said 'ten o'clock.'" Kiba and Shino both stared at her intensely. "Hinata, what are you not telling us?"

"Kiba-kun…"

"We're a team Hinata," Shino said. "Why should you tell us? Because we care for you and your wellbeing. I would hope you trusted us."

"I do trust you guys!" she exclaimed, looking at them pleadingly. "Trust…Trust me when I say that Naruto-kun isn't as bad as everyone says he is."

"Naruto?" Shino asked.

"Naruto-kun?" Kiba asked.

Hinata blushed. "The fox…demon…"

Kiba groaned. "Oh my god, you've got the hots for the most hated, dangerous, creature that walks the grounds."

Hinata flushed. "I do not!"

Kiba laughed. "Sure, sure," he teased. "You still owe us an explanation."

She sighed, but she did trust them. So she told them the story of how she met the infamous fox demon.

.

.

Ten o'clock rolled by and Hinata once again snuck out of the compound. But this time Neji Hyuga did come to stop her.

"Hinata-sama, are you going to visit the Jinchuriki-"

"Naruto," she said gently. "His name is Naruto." She had one hand on the bark of a tree, her back facing him.

"I trust you know what you are doing," he continued. "But I'm not so sure I trust…Naruto."

"He won't harm me."

"Maybe so, but know he has done terrible things. He is a fox demon no matter how much he charms you," Neji explained methodically. "He has taken lives-"

"And I haven't?" Hinata asked. "You haven't? As ninja, it comes with the job."

"The deaths we caused have a purpose-"

"Neji-niisan, please don't try to glorify death."

"That is not my purpose, Hinata-sama. I'm just trying to warn you…He has taken lives not because a mission called for it or his life was in danger if he didn't-"

"But sometimes it is that reason exactly, that he takes the lives of our villagers…" she said hesitantly.

"And sometimes it is not," Neji said. "He may be nice to you, but he does have instincts I'm sure he succumbs to occasionally. I don't know, I can't explain the workings of a fox demon."

He heard her tut.

He sighed. "I do not want you to get your heart broken. Remember the tragedy that happened years ago? The fox demon massacred so many of our people. Konoha's history is riddled with attacks caused by the demon-"

Hinata clenched the bark tightly. "He was too young to be the root cause behind that," she whispered.

"Maybe so, Hinata-sama," Neji said. "I won't stop you, but I urge you to be wary."

She paused. "Thank you."

And with that Hinata continued her trek into the woods.

.

.

She wasn't too far in when she sensed him. Moonlight still filtered through the trees, illuminating her long midnight hair, contrasting with her pale lavender coat. This time he appeared behind her.

"Follow me," he said, his tail just barely rubbing her red cheek. "And try to remember this path. Burn it into your memory and don't share it with anyone else." He hesitated. "Please."

She nodded and quietly followed.

It was a quiet journey, and felt like quite a long one. She was surprised with herself. Since when had she grown so bold? She could easily be walking in to a trap…walking to her death. But she felt oddly at ease.

Soon they came to a small clearing and she saw a quaint little house nestled in the trees.

"Is-Is that your home?" she asked as they got closer.

"Yep," he said, pushing open the door.

"Oh."

He chuckled. "Did you think I slept in a bush?"

She blushed. "Maybe something like that."

"I'm not completely a monster, ya know?"

She placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not a monster at all."

He smiled at her tenderly and shook his head. "But I am, Hinata. I've done some terrible things."

He led her into his home giving her a brief tour.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asked, as they came to his bedroom. She had noticed that there were instant ramen packs littered around the house that she could only assume he had stolen from the village.

He shrugged. He honestly didn't know why. "Now you know where to find me."

She sat down daintily on the edge of his bed. "You said…you said you've done some terrible things."

His face darkened. "Hinata, I am a fox demon. It's in my nature."

She didn't know if she should ask her not. Or if she really wanted to know, but she spoke anyway. "What did you do?"

He scowled. "I'm not sharing that with you."

"Are you afraid you'll frighten me?"

He laughed and dropped onto his back, sprawled on his bed. "You weren't scared when I mauled your kidnapper back when you were five, I don't think you'd be scared with all the things I've done."

"Then?"

"I'm not exactly proud, Hinata."

"Well that's good!" she insisted.

He sat up and frowned at her. "Hinata, I don't know who I am."

She looked at him in confusion.

He groaned. "I'm a demon. I have animal instincts. Killing? I enjoy it. The feel of the warm blood running between my fingers? The sound of flesh tearing?" Hinata shivered. "But I am also human. And I know everything I do isn't always right. I do feel…regret."

"Where did you go these past two and a half years?" she asked, staring down at her hands.

"I was training," he said. "To control my impulses and expand my abilities." She looked up at him, she could feel his gaze boring holes into her. "I don't want to hurt anyone I care about and I want to be able to protect them as well."

Hinata smiled.

She stayed there for a while, simply talking to him about one topic and another before he led her back to the Hyuga compound.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked at the edge of the woods.

"Hm?"

"Can I come by again with some friends?" She noticed him visibly hesitate. "They're nice people," she said softly. "They just have to get to know you. I know they'd like you."

He looked at her earnest face and nodded.

.

.

For the next few months Hinata visisted Naruto regularly a few times a week. She took her friends one at a time or in pairs to ease Naruto in. Fortunately most of them got along. Occasionally Sasuke and Sakura would clash a little with the blonde but it always turned out fine. Kiba liked to tease them relentlessly and whenever he was around the red never left her cheeks. Neji seemed to grow open to the idea of Naruto being more than just a violent fox demon and she was glad Naruto made some friends.

None of the villagers could know.

Naruto had taken many lives and the family members of his victims still held grudges. Occasionally their senseis happened to walk by the training field at times where Naruto would join them. They would sense an odd chakra but by the time they got there it was gone and the friends would say nothing about it.

Deaths and ruckus caused by the infamous fox demon tapered off.

When there were deaths they weren't because of him, he remembered confessing to her. They really weren't. She believed him. They were caused by the missing ninja, the rogue villagers, and bandits. There were animals that mauled lost hikers (poor souls that decided to go about romping through the dangerous woods. Just because he had controlled his devilish impulses, doesn't make the woods any safer).

The majority of the villagers still believed he was a monster though.

He remembered the chants.

He'd burn in hell, they'd say. Kill himself, save them the trouble.

It hurt him.

God, he was supposed to be a fucking fox demon for goodness sake. He rolled over on his bed onto his tail. He hissed and yanked it out from under him.

There was a giggle in the room.

He turned and looked at her smiling at him from the doorframe.

Oh yeah, he forgot she was here. She was so quiet sometimes. Silent but comforting, like a gentle breeze.

He smiled, feeling his heart beat faster.

.

.

Everyone in the village always took him for an outsider. He didn't care. (Too much). The only thing that mattered was her. No, no one is born evil.

What was this he was feeling?

Demons don't love.

But he did feel a sort of attraction towards her. An affection. A fear that if she would get hurt, he wouldn't be able to control himself.

But sometimes when you go through hell the only escape is to walk deeper into the fire.

.

.

They were sixteen.

A battle had broken out in Konoha. He woke up with a start. There were sounds of explosions and screaming.

He was over to the village in seconds.

It was hell.

Things were burning, there were craters scattered throughout the village. Amidst the screams he heard some laughter.

He narrowed his eyes.

More demons. People like him. There weren't many in the world

He growled.

How dare they come to his village.

And so the battle ensued.

The battle seemed to last forever. The ninjas of Konoha fought in various sectors. They saw the flashes of orange running amongst them, helping them when death seemed absolute and inevitable. Many of the villagers he tried to save tried to attack him but he just scoffed, leaving them be. Lives were lost but he'd be damned if he let anyone in Konoha be killed by other demons.

Naruto was strong and he got rid of most of his fellow creatures except their leader.

"AH!" he yelled out in pain when the orange haired man before him impaled him with another rod.

"Why are you trying to save these pathetic humans?" the enemy asked, curiosity dripping from his deep voice. "Why are you helping them slaughter your brethren?"

"Brethren?" Naruto snarled. "You are no comrade of mine!"

"And are they?" he mocked. "Those who leave you on your own. Isolate you. Hunt you. Try to kill you. Those that murdered your mother? A demoness."

"My mother died long ago-"

"Killed by humans that hunt our kind."

Naruto frowned through his pain. "She died loved by a human."

"The only things humans are good for are as play things. Hunt them, fuck them, kill them," he said maliciously. "Weak little things that they are…perhaps you should join them," he said, producing another rod. "I still don't understand why you fight for them. Not with them because they surely don't care for you. Just because you are host to the nine-tailed fox, one of the strongest demons of us all, doesn't make you above us," he continued. "You are supposed to be one of the strongest of us all," he laughed. "But you are as weak as the humans you seem to care for. You will die with them." He was just going to stab the young man on the ground, who struggled his best to get out of the rods that seemed to inhibit his abilities.

"NO!" his heart froze. It was her. "Leave. Him. Alone!" He was too slow. He couldn't move.

No. No. NO. NO.

He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw her jump through the air, palms blazing, ready to take on a demon host much too strong for her.

Hinata.

It all happened so quickly.

She lay before him, still. Blood running from the cuts that littered her body. He had screamed his throat raw but she still kept trying.

She kept getting up. She kept getting up.

Because she loved him, she had said.

He closed his eyes.

She kept getting up.

And falling.

"Hinata…"

He heard the sound of metal against metal and looked up. His eyes met the other man's purple ones as he held his weapon dangerously above Hinata's immobile one. And then it came down and all Naruto saw was blood.

"Out of love, sacrifice is born," the man said but all Naruto heard the was the sound of the rod impaling Hinata's soft flesh over and over, echoing in his mind. All he saw was her blood soaking the ground. "Hate is born and we are able to know pain."

Sometimes when you go through hell the only escape is to walk deeper into the fire.

Naruto burned.

.

.

A few years had passed since the dreaded attack against Konoha and the villagers became more tolerant of their savior. He was still given scared looks and people avoided him in waves but it was tolerable. They even allowed him access to the village. (He would normally go anyway, but now he wouldn't have to sneak around in the shadows). They were going against everything they they knew and learned from their ancestors. Decades of fighting against these demon hosts, haunted by the Kyubi centuries ago, and here was the exception.

They were sitting under a canopy of trees, listening to the sounds of nature.

"I'm going to be married," she said one day out of the blue.

He looked at her, his face full of shock. "What?" He felt really cold all of a sudden.

She nodded, playing with her hands, not meeting his eyes. "Well, not yet," she said. "But I've been getting marriage requests, according to my father."

He narrowed his eyes, staring at the ground. "You have suitors?"

"Mhm."

"Oh."

.

.

It was his suffering that made him so human. He learned humility, compassion, and…how to cherish the love he was given.

He tore apart some trees in anger.

Why? Why didn't he respond to her confession those years ago?

How could she love him? He was a demon. He was a no good, shadow crawling, killer. Damn it, he didn't even know if he was capable of loving her. Of giving her what she deserved.

But it hurt and it made him upset all at the same time, thinking of the men that begged for her hand in marriage.

She had grown up into a beautiful young woman (and many would say he was as attractive as any normal human, let alone a host of a demon). He laughed at himself. It was a pathetic, irritated laugh. Some of Konoha's female villagers would follow him around, laughing and giggling. They'd try to cop a feel of his fluffy tail and they'd compliment his fuzzy ears. He had always just accepted their words with confusion. Why were they acting so strangely?

Well, he figured it out when he saw Hinata walking through the village in her new gear, her skin looking as soft and appealing as always. Oh how he had wanted to sink his fangs into her pale-

He shook his head.

Her suitors had been giving her compliments as his (what he figured were suitors as well) did.

His tail flicked angrily behind him.

"Naruto-kun?"

He froze, shoulders stiff at the sound of the voice behind him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, coming closer.

"Training," he said gruffly. He felt his fur standing on end. Someone else was with her.

"Naruto-kun," she repeated since he didn't turn around. He continued to tear apart another tree. Well, whoever was with her better be scared. "This is Toneri."

He bristled, and turned mechanically. Slowly.

That white-haired, pretentious prick.

He had seen this man before. He had almost attacked him, actually. He had seen him conversing with Hinata a few days ago and it took all his resistance to not claw him to bits. He had grown past that behavior years ago. But he mostly didn't do it because he was sure it would make Hinata upset. He didn't like to see her cry. Especially not when he was the cause.

"Hello," Toneri said, holding out a gloved hand. "It's nice to meet you. Hinata's said so many positive things about you."

"Did she tell you the time I slaughtered hundreds of shinobi?"

"Naruto-kun!" she gasped angrily. "Why are you-"

"That's alright, Hinata," Toneri said politely. He smiled amiably at her but her face was trained on Naruto's who was just looking at the man with agitation. He turned his head to look at him and gave him a smirk. Naruto glowered at Toneri, who placed his arm around Hinata and brought her close to his body. "No worries, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other once Hinata and I are married, right Naruto?"

Naruto yelled and made to attack him but Hinata quickly intervened.

"Toneri, go!" she said, pushing him. "Go!"

The white haired man trembled slightly, but glared at Naruto before he left.

Naruto was breathing heavily.

"You can't marry him," Naruto said after a few minutes of silence. He stared at her unblinkingly. His tail came around and tenderly caressed her face.

She leaned into the warmth, briefly closing her eyes. "And why not, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto clenched his teeth. She opened her eyes and looked into his blue ones. Those blue eyes that saved her so long ago.

"I love you," he said.

Her pale eyes widened.

"Hinata," he swallowed, taking a step closer, his tail brushing her face again. "I'm in love with you."

She looked like she was about to cry and Naruto felt his heart clench.

"I have to go," she whispered.

"Hinata-"

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she said, gently pushing him away before running back to the village.

Naruto felt himself break.

.

.

She returned the next day only to find his house empty.

She came day after day after day, but to no avail.

Naruto was gone.

Hinata broke.

.

.

A week or two passed before Naruto had the courage to return back to Konoha. It was actually Hinata's friends, their friends who came looking for him. They encouraged him to come back. They didn't give him the details about what was going on, they insisted he had to come home to figure that out.

And so he did.

And the first place he went to was the Hyuga Compound in search of Hinata.

She was nowhere to be found. (And neither was Toneri, he was relieved to see).

So he returned to his home, slightly downtrodden until he sensed her chakra. It was like medicine. It washed over him, soothing his aching bones and heavy heart. He entered his home and the feeling was stronger.

Naruto pushed open the door to his bedroom gently, his ears moving quickly, listening for her breathing. It was deep and heavy. She must have been sleeping. He quietly walked in and saw her snuggled on his bed, her hair fanned out on his pillow.

He smiled. She looked beautiful.

He didn't want to wake her but he wanted to be near her. He sat down beside her, at the edge of his bed. She shifted and her eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," he said, bringing his fingers to her face. He hesitated before touching her but she smiled at him, leaning on her right arm. With her left she took hold of his hand in hers and put his fingers to her face. He was careful not to scratch her with his sharp nails.

"You left me…" she whispered, her eyes sad and full of pain.

Naruto's heart clenched. "I'm sorry."

"Why? Why did you go?"

He bit his lip, rubbing his thumb against her cheeks. "You know why." She didn't say anything; instead she just closed her eyes to feel his touch. "I couldn't stay and watch you spend your life with another man."

Hinata blushed and turned to boldly (for her) kiss his palm. He inhaled sharply, his instincts urging him to move to her lips.

"Why did you come back then?" she asked, her cheeks red.

"I couldn't let you spend your life with another man."

"Let me?" she asked teasingly.

He grinned toothily, his tail swishing behind him, wrapping around to hover protectively near her head.

"Where is he then?" he asked, the mood changing suddenly.

"Where is who?" she asked, taking hold of his tail and running her fingers gently through it.

He suppressed a groan. That felt so nice. "Toneri," he spit out.

"Gone," she said. "Went back to where he came from."

"Oh?" he asked, seeming to cheer up instantly. She nodded. "When did he leave?" he asked, his eyes following her fingers combing through his fur.

"The same day you did…" she said softly, stopping her ministrations.

"What did you say to him?" he asked, placing a finger to her chin to make her meet his gaze.

"Does it matter?"

He chuckled. "I guess not," he glanced out the window; the full moon was shining brightly, illuminating the room. "What are you doing here this late at night?"

She turned red again. "I-I come here…" she took a deep breath. "Not everyone agrees with our relationship…whatever that may be…"

He frowned. "Who's been giving you grief?" he seemed angry.

"No, don't worry," she said, sitting up and placing her hands on his shoulders. It reminded him of the time they first met. "It doesn't matter what others think-"

"I love you," he interrupted, needing to say it. "I meant what I said."

She smiled. "And I love you," she said. "I have for a long time."

"I'm a demon, Hinata," he said. "I've done terrible things-"

"I know what you've done," she said, "I know what you're capable of."

"And yet-"

"And yet, nothing," she said. "Your father, he was a human. Your mother-"

"Same as me."

"What's stopping us?" she asked earnestly.

"I could hurt you," he said, sounding scared.

She laughed kindly. "You've had over a decade to hurt me."

He stared into her twinkling eyes, wanting nothing more but to hold her. His fingers twitched and his tail moved to her back.

"You can, you know," she said gently, with a bite of her lip.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said, his voice deep.

She breathed deeply; her eyes filling with unshed tears of joy. "Naruto-kun…"

Then he leaned over and kissed her.

It was just one kiss of many that night.

He pressed her to the bed, his legs on either side of her as he peppered kisses down the length of her throat, her fingers entangled in his hair, brushing his pointed ears. She arched her body up against him and he groaned, his tail waving wildly.

"I love you," he whispered between his kisses. "Thank you. Thank you."

She felt his hands trailing along her body and she inhaled sharply.

Immediately his blue eyes were above her pale ones, looking at her with worry.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked frantically. "Did I scratch you? Oh god, did I break something?" He didn't know his own strength, but he knew he could easily snap her in half with his dark abilities.

She giggled. "No, Naruto-kun. You didn't hurt me," she blushed. "B-but do you mind…if we stop for tonight?"

Naruto stared at her blankly before laughing. He rolled over to his side, running a finger down her cheek. "Sorry, I got excited. I think I wanted to do that forever."

"What, kiss someone?"

"Kiss you."

She laughed softly and gave him another peck on the cheek before snuggling into his chest.

.

.

It took them less than a year to get officially married.

Not everyone took the union of the Jinchuriki and the Hyuga princess well. She received many death threats and insulting remarks regarding her character, fidelity, and even state of mind. She had to restrain Naruto many times from reverting back to his violent and more instinct prone, animalistic self.

That's all right, they had the blessings of their close family and friends and that's really all that mattered to them. Plus, a large amount of the villagers actually started to accept the changes that started to happen.

In fact, they (the people they trusted) had rebuilt their (Naruto and Hinata's) new home.

"What do you say we go break in the bedroom?" Naruto asked boldly, his tail brushing her side.

She blushed but didn't argue.

Soon she found herself straddled by a half naked Naruto placing soft kisses on her exposed breasts. She ran her fingers alone his bare back, humming in satisfaction before gently pulling his face up to hers so she could give him a deep kiss. He bit her lip playfully, running a fang along the sensitive skin. Hinata gently pressed her lips against the whiskers on his cheeks, knowing full well how sensitive he was there. Naruto groaned in appreciation, burrowing his head into the crook of her shoulder and neck, sucking on the skin he loved so much. His hands ran up and down her arms. He had a strange fascination with her arms.

He pressed down on her body, chest to chest, pelvic to pelvic and she blushed at his touch. She moved her hips against his and was rewarded with a growl coming deep from his throat.

"Hinata…" he groaned, bringing his gaze into hers. His eyes were dark with lust, his whiskers looking ragged, and his tail was surprisingly still. Her breath caught in her throat, his lustful stare paralyzing her to the bed. She tingled pleasantly everywhere. He kissed her roughly, tongue pushing into her mouth, which she willingly accepted. She pulled at his pants, trying to relieve his strain. He tore at the rest of the clothes she had on, he'd apologize for it later.

Suddenly Hinata found herself naked, with Naruto hovering above her equally so.

"I love you," she whispered with a quivering voice.

He leaned down and kissed the offending mark under her breast where she almost died to protect him. "I love you," he said, trailing his tongue down the length of his body until his head rest near her thighs.

Hinata gripped the covers, her back arching up as Naruto lapped between her legs. The sounds he procured from her mouth almost drove him insane. She gasped, and moaned, and whispered his name. He held her thighs apart as he felt her tremble and writhe beneath him. Damn, this is what he wanted all the time. To taste her. To make her feel good. To make her feel him.

Soon she let out a cry, her body lifting from the bed, her legs clenching around him in a vice grip. A few seconds later he kissed his way back up, pulling her body down near his own. She felt his hardness against her heat and she moaned as her body moved up to touch him on its own.

Sometimes he feared hurting her. She was so soft, so fragile looking, like porcelain. He'd be damned if he did something, anything, to hurt her. But she proved time and time again that she was strong. That she could fight just as well as any ninja out there. That she could handle what he threw at her.

With one swift movement he buried himself inside of her, his sounds of pleasure mixing with hers. He started off slow, watching her face, her eyes shut tightly, her lips plump and slightly bruised from his kisses, her chest heaving. Her voice rang in his ears, her wishes, her pleading. Faster, she said.

He obliged.

He pushed into her, her body squeezing him and he moaned into her neck. He was pressed against her body, his mouth near her ear. He bit down on her shoulder, leaving a mark. His mark. Her body was his, and his was hers. It was a claim.

"Mine," he whispered roughly.

She gasped as the feeling of him moving inside of her, her fingers clawing at her back.

While he did his best to not hurt her with his elongated fingernails, fangs, and strength, she knew her touches would do anything but harm him. He hissed in pleasure when he felt her nails digging into his skin as his thrusts became erratic.

"Mine," he declared.

"Naruto-kun," she huffed, moving with him. She forced his mouth to hers, suppressing their sounds of lovemaking.

They stared at each others glazed eyes, lips touching occasionally, whispering each others names through the heat and bliss.

"Mine," he whispered, his love for her overwhelming him.

She kissed away the tears gathering at the corner of his eyes.

People laughed at them. How could a demon love? How could a demon feel? It was in their blood to fight, torture, hurt, and murder. How could she love someone like him? What did she see in him? How could he love her?

Oh, if only they knew.

Sometimes he was more human than the rest of them.

It was just another love story, another tale of the beauty and the beast.

He wasn't going to lose her. He'd do everything in his power to protect her, to love her.

And she'd do the same.

Later they lay side by side. She ran a finger down his cheek and giggled at his satisfied smirk.

"Mine…"

"Yours."

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first went about writing this I had a darker story in mind but it just didn't come out that way. Maybe I'll try again some other time, throw in some angst and violence. But I'm satisfied with this one. I hope you are too.
> 
> Got a lot more already written and ready to upload I just have to figure out how this site works...Any advice is appreciated.
> 
> -Magma


	2. 1-40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of unrelated short snippets centered mainly on Naruto and Hinata. Be warned: there may be some that are sad, funny, angsty, humorous, etc. moments. NaruHina
> 
> Each individual snippet does not follow any particular chronological timeline. They aren't related to one another and should stand on its own.

 

**1) Picnic**

As he walked through the park he couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy watching couples share food from a basket and relax together. His mind went back to the time she made rice balls resembling himself. She was only able to make it twice before she was taken away from him.

**2) Novice**

The whisker marked child continued practicing his gentle fist and vowed he would be as strong as his father and mother.

**3) Party**

They were old and he couldn't remember her because of age and disease but she threw him a party celebrating their 50th anniversary even though it hurt her every time he asked who she was.

**4) Rocking Chair**

He bought it for her when she announced she was pregnant and smiled at the memories it brought back. He would find her sitting there with their first born and she would find him holding their baby in the middle of the night still marveling at the fact that he had a family now.

**5) Class**

The bell rang, signaling lunchtime, and she approached the blonde haired boy in an attempt to ask if he would eat with her but couldn't find the courage to do so. Till this day she wondered how differently her life would have turned out if she found the strength to tap him on the shoulder that day.

**6) Spike**

He watched her fall, unable to help, and the sight of the sharp, jagged rock impaling her caused his chakra levels to rise to immense proportions.

**7) Bandage**

She hated it when he got hurt during their long mission together but couldn't help but like it when he had to take off his shirt for her to patch him up.

**8) Song**

She realized even the birds stopped singing as they mourned for the death of the Orange Hokage.

**9) Robot**

He realized he did something very wrong when she continued talking to him in that stiff, monotonous voice.

**10) Fountain**

She woke up soaking wet and noticed he was sitting next to her in the water. "You fainted when I kissed you and fell in the fountain so I jumped in after you to make it seem like we did it on purpose."

**11) Saucepan**

She shuffled out of his bedroom and saw him standing shirtless in front of the stove. "Breakfast?" she questioned. He smiled and she smelled bacon. His smile quickly vanished when little drops of hot oil splashed on his bare chest. He wore a "Kiss the Cook" apron each time he made her food after that.

**12) Ring**

She slipped the small gold band around a chain hanging from her neck and tucked it inside her shirt. She took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door. There were many things missions asked for that she didn't want to do. She felt bile rise up in her throat as she shut the door behind her.

**13) Winner**

He always felt like a loser when he was a kid. People treated him as dirt or like gum on their shoes. He always felt as though he came in second compared to Sasuke. He wasn't as smart as Shikamaru or as chill as Kakashi sensei and he didn't feel better than anyone but as he stared at the woman sleeping next to him he smiled contentedly and felt like he won first place.

**14) Candle**

She unlocked the door to their home and noticed the only source of light came from the candles lit in their bedroom. He was trying to be romantic and it would have worked if the sheets didn't catch on fire.

**15) Road Sign**

The sign read  _Kohnoha_  but he didn't stop to read it. It's been months since he laid foot in his village and his heart ached for his home, family and friends.

**16) Belly Button**

He put his face close to her rounded stomach and started talking to it. She laughed as he placed one eye over her belly button in an attempt to catch a glimpse of their child.

**17) Stardom**

He always craved to be acknowledged and as he stood on top of the stone carved in his liking, he grinned.

 **18)**   **Scaffold**

She watched in horror, unable to do anything to stop his execution.  _No,_ she thought as they put him down on his knees.  _No!_

**19) Hobby**

His hobby of gardening and hers of pressing flowers fit perfectly together as he picked plants he grew by himself and handed it to her to preserve forever between the pages of a book.

**20) Shark**

She was tied above a tank of hungry sharks and she rolled her eyes as he made a dramatic entrance. She was already cutting through the ropes that bound her but she let him think he was saving her. His inflated ego after a successful mission continued into the bedroom and she cut the ropes faster at the thought.

**21) Pharmacy**

He prayed no one important would see him as he slipped a box of condoms onto the counter. The bell above the store door jingled and he saw Hyuga, Neji walk in and stare at what he was buying. It was no secret he was dating his cousin. A stream of curses ran through Naruto's head when he saw the long haired man activate his Byakugan.

**22) Tart**

He knew she loved cinnamon rolls and he wondered if she liked them for their swirl pattern as he pulled them out of the oven. She was happy he tried to make them for her and told him they were delicious even though they were far from what they were supposed to taste like.

**23) Puppy**

The child loved to hang out with his Uncle Kiba and every time he returned home from spending time with the Inuzuka clan he begged his parents for a pet.

**24) Joke**

The enemy ninja laughed but Naruto found nothing funny about his bleeding lover in front of him.

**25) Reason**

He knew she loved him and after her confession he still couldn't believe it. Why? What did she see in  _him_? The orphan. The monster. He found it hard to wrap his mind around the thought that there was someone out there that really,  _really,_  loved him.

**26) Pub**

Their mission required them to gather intel and he knew it would be easiest for an undercover kunoichi to do that job but he still hated watching those drunken men drool over his fiancé.

**27) Socks**

Most of the ninjas he knew didn't wear socks and he didn't really care for them either but looking at these baby socks made his heart flutter.

**28) Sausage**

Hinata blushed as Ino made some crude remarks about the food she was currently eating during their girls night out. The conversation took a turn to their current boyfriends and Hinata blushed when Ino asked  _her_ about size.

**29) Plastic Bag**

She suddenly couldn't sense his chakra anymore and when he saw a strange man drag out a big black bag with blood trailing from it she just screamed.

**30) Beast**

His transformation was sudden and he didn't seem aware of who he was attacking. When he finally reverted back into his human form he saw blood  _everywhere_. He automatically tried sensing her chakra and when he couldn't feel it tears fell from his eyes.  _Why?_   _WHY?_ He was alone again.

 **31)**   **Olive**

"This olive is the color of your hair," he said. "It's making me hungry." The look he gave her made her blush... _everywhere._

**32) Digging**

After the war they had a lot of bodies to bury.  _You said you'd always be by my side._ Tears rolled down his cheeks.  _Then why am I digging for you?_

**33) Bank**

Hinata didn't want to be with him because of money. She would get used to a different type of life from what she was used to. It was news to her when she learned of all that he inherited from his dead parents. She held him as he read the notice from the bank on his 18th birthday as he thought of the family he could have had. She made a new vow now.  _I will be his family._

**34) Tower**

She thought back at the story she vaguely remembered her mother telling her when she was little. A story about a woman with very long hair stuck in a tower. As he ran his hands through her long black hair she knew  _he_  was the prince who did and  _would_ save her.

**35) Young Man**

Naruto watched his teenage son leave the house to go on his very first date and smiled at the thought that his late wife would be happy knowing what a great man their son turned into.

**36) Tissue**

Hanabi handed her usually stoic father a tissue as he watched his oldest daughter marry the new Hokage.

**37) Creeper**

Naruto watched bitterly as young men fawned over the eldest Hyuga daughter. She had people asking for her hand in marriage left and right and knew many men followed her around from the shadows. He grew angry at the thought and watched her pass by as he sat in Ichiraku.  _Wait,_  he thought.  _Am I one of those creeps too now?_

**38) Mime**

His child followed him around mimicking everything he did. He pulled on his Hokage robes and laughed as his son pouted, unable to copy that specific part of Naruto's routine. When Naruto came back home from he began to mimic his child as payback but when his son activated his Byakugan, Naruto knew he lost.

**39) Spider**

Hinata hated anything to do with spiders after a specific mission of her having to fight a particular ninja adept at forming webs. She remembered being trapped and unable to stop him from running his hands over her and shuddered each time she noticed the eight-legged insect.

**40) Seaweed**

When the Konoha 11 decided to take a day off to go to the beach he couldn't take his eyes off a certain women. Her face was red and not because of the heat. His friends made his staring and her blushing worse when they poured a bucket of water on them and he decided to help her pick seaweed out of her hair.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Please send me a message if you would like to expand on any of these short one-shots.  
> I'm considering adding more. Please review telling me what you think, if a should continue, etc.
> 
> -Magma E.


	3. One-Shot 2: Zombie AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is a godforsaken world where zombies conquered the Earth and humans fought to survive. They were living in hell, in the world of the dead, but they found their own little slice of heaven in each other.

 

It was all  _his_  fault, she would say.

Damn it, why did he have to save her so long ago? (Well, thank goodness he did actually. That's not a viable complaint).

They were just kids when the world went to hell.

Fortunately their little village situated in the trees heeded the warnings that spread across the world. Ridiculous stories, some people had said. Just the media trying to spread some more lies and get everyone worked up.

Thank goodness those people were ignored.

Tsunade, smart lady, ordered everyone to reinforce the wall that already bordered the village. Just in case. It doesn't hurt to build up their defense, even if the rumors turned out to be just that, rumors.

Hinata's thoughts had wandered to the boy that came to her rescue. Somehow there was a break in the fortification that was supposed to be protecting them and a stray zombie had straggled in and almost took a chunk out of her little, child arms. He came running in, screaming at the top of his lungs, holding a sharp pipe and stabbed at the creature while Hinata yelled herself hoarse.

The creature was dead (deader?) by the time her family heard her cries.

That was then, and this was now.

She glanced over at him sleeping peacefully while she took the first watch and couldn't help but smile.

Him and his stupid courage, hope lifting words, (and a really nice body, she'd be lying if she said she had never noticed).

(Those thoughts were all before their clothes came flying off).

It was all  _her_ fault, he would say. If  _she_  hadn't saved him from that zombie (at the risk of her own life he remembered bitterly and with the utmost respect) they wouldn't be in this situation. She wouldn't have felt compelled to confess her  _feelings_  to him.

And he wouldn't have grown to realize his own.

There is no room for feelings in the world of the dead.

Feelings don't exist.

Feelings make you weak, vulnerable.

Damn it, they wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for their feelings.

Hiding in a barn, nestled in hay that scratched at their naked skin.

Oh yeah, not to mention the zombies that groaned and scratched at the wooden door, just an inch or two thick.

Anyway, let's start from the beginning.

.

* * *

.

When it first started, it was good for a while. Maybe good isn't the right word. It was…doable. They were able to stand their own. They took a lot of hits, lost a lot of lives, but they were going on ten years now. A decade, they were able to fight against the dead.

But the number of the dead grows faster than the number of the living.

As more people die, their size dwindles and the enemies flourish.

Their wall still held. It was weaker, crumbling in many places, starting to fall over in others, but they used as much material they could spare to fix it.

They had lost so many people that they decided to situate themselves in a smaller compound of their once grand village. Certain parts of their villages were unfortunately destroyed by the dead, one prime example being the Uchiha compound.

No one realized there was a crack in the wall before it was too late. The residents living on that side of town were pretty much wiped out. They lost a large chunk of their people that night.

(They were nineteen now, and were supposed to be out on a supply run but we'll come back to that. The barn can wait. They were content for now, mesmerized by each other, fingers running lovingly down their bare bodies).

.

* * *

.

Konoha had been struggling for a few years now. They had flourished for about five years after the outbreak but around the time they turned twelve things started to take a darker course. They had started to run out of food, so many adults were dispatched on missions to get as much as they could.

The land nearest their village was eventually bare. They milked it of all the resources they could and the journeys outside their walls grew more perilous with every passing week. The worlds human population was only a fraction of what it once was. Zombies fraught the land, bandits hid in abandoned shacks, towns, trees, and animals ran rabid. And other groups rummaged for food and supplies in areas where they searched which often lead to conflict.

Many of the capable adults died or vanished a while ago. Kids, including themselves at the time, were trained at a young age to learn how to survive on their own outside the walls. They learned how to fight, both against the dead and against the hostile living. They learned how to hunt and built their stamina up so they could go hours upon hours without sleep, and were able to run for miles if they had to.

Those were the years that Hinata Hyuga had slowly started to fall for the boy known as Naruto Uzumaki. He was strong, and determined to win this endless war against the dead.

No one ever thought about  _winning_  against the dead. Only surviving. But he wanted to  _win_. He wanted to eradicate them all so they could live peacefully again. He didn't want his future children to have to live in a world like this as much as he could help it.

His words and dreams made her heart flutter and cheeks burn red.

.

* * *

.

Hinata Hyuga didn't go unnoticed by him either.

He admired her perseverance, her quiet ways, and her happy and polite personality. She was like sunshine in this never-ending darkness and he had always found himself drawn to her whenever she was around, sort of like a moth to a flame but without any death waiting at the end. He chuckled at the thought but stopped abruptly. Why was he thinking about Hinata like that? Oh god.

She emanated warmth. Sometimes he caught himself staring at her while they rested after a hard day of training. She looked so soft and comforting…

No, no, no.

He stopped himself from thinking too much about her. It's not safe. Growing attached to someone in this world was stupid. Things were taken too easily from you.

But still, when they were assigned missions together he found himself fretting over her wellbeing. He fretted over any of the people he was assigned missions with but he found himself worrying about her constantly. When she was sent off with Kiba and Shino on occasion, he'd feel himself getting restless. It's like he was holding his breath and was only able to breath again when he saw her walk through Konoha's gates.

She'd smile, give him a wave, and head off with her team to give news to Tsunade.

He'd catch himself looking over her body really quick in search of injuries as she left his sight.

.

* * *

.

They were sixteen when their village was attacked, not by a horde of the undead, but by  _people_. It wasn't the first time other humans had tried to infiltrate their village but it was the second time they were attacked by a group so big.

The first time it happened he was trapped and death seemed inevitable but Hinata found her way to him and had almost died in the process. His heart clenches whenever he thought about her on the ground, bleeding from a bullet would under her breast.

He shook his head; this wasn't the time to think about that moment.

The enemy group had destroyed a large section of the wall Konoha tried so hard to maintain and streamed in by the dozen. Fortunately, the people on sentry duty had enough time to warn the rest of the village of the impending attack and Tsunade was able to organize her troops (the villagers) into fighting position.

Even the children were to fight, run messages. Anything they could do to help.

When it comes to protecting their village, their only protection against themselves and the rest of hell, everyone did their best.

Naruto and his friends, known as the Konoha Twelve, fought together seamlessly. They were all trained together when they were younger, ever since the beginning of the end and grew to understand each other and each others fighting styles. They fought like one.

It hurt their parents to see their young children holding lethal weapons meant to kill but it was inevitable.

Zombies were attracted by the loud noises, the screams, the bangs from the gunshots ringing through the woods, and filed in through the gap in their defense. It was a bloodbath. The walkers fed on the fallen, jumped on the unwary, and took shots to their chest as if they were hit with marshmallows. The living fought against each other and the dead.

Naruto aimed precisely, shooting down zombies and enemy humans alike. A few feet away from him stood his most common partner, Sasuke, the lone survivor of the tragedy that struck the Uchiha district. Sasuke's weapon of choice was a katana, which he used to slice off the heads of the dead as if cutting through butter.

Naruto saw a flash of pink from the corner of his eyes and quickly shot dead one of the people from the intruding group as they had raised an arm to stab his friend Sakura in the back. She shouted a word of thanks at him before swinging her sledgehammer down on a zombie feeding on what he hoped beyond hope was not one of their own. With a sickening crunch, the zombie's head bust open like a piñata, blood, and slimy pink and gray stuff oozing out and coating the ground.

"Naruto!" he heard someone gasp out his name. "Behind you!" Before he could react, said person ran to his side and jumped, bringing the zombie that was going to take a bite out of him to the ground before swinging her arm down in one fluid motion.

"Thanks, Hinata," he said with a grin as she yanked out her small blade from the dead. She was armed with two blades, wrapped around her wrists and assembled in a way that she was able to sheath and unsheathe the weapons depending on the situation. It worried him that her weapon of choice required such close combat but he knew she was capable of fighting these enemies as well as he could. She was stealthy and dangerous.

"Pay attention, you two!" Kiba barked at them as he ran past, his dog Akamaru in tow. Akamaru jumped at the throat of a man who had just aimed his gun at them and Kiba threw a couple of needles at the men behind him. They screamed as the weapons sunk into their eye sockets and their sounds stopped abruptly when Shino came from behind, quiet as always, sinking his knife through their heads.

"Naruto," Hinata called for his attention again. He turned to her and followed her gaze. She was pointing at Tenten, who was holding her own against two other men from the rival group. A man was approaching slowly from behind, unbeknownst to the brunette. Naruto nodded in understanding and took aim but before he could shoot, Hinata's cousin, Neji, came and took out the man with weapons similar to Hinata.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief before giving him a hesitant smile. He grinned but his expression turned serious when he saw someone aiming at them from a far.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, pushing Hinata to the ground as the bullet flew overhead. She gasped but lay still with Naruto on top of her. He didn't move to get off; instead he quickly aimed and shot two times, the enemy falling to the floor dead. The other shot was for a zombie that was crawling it's way towards them. He rolled over and pulled Hinata's blushing self to her feet.

"Thank you," she said softly.

He smiled and was about to say more when a scream sent a chill through him.

"Lee!" Ino's voice shouted in his ear. They had been lucky to come across some earpieces to use as walkie talkies and they used the few solar panels they had gathered and set up to charge certain essential items. Ino acted as their eyes and relayed information about the battle but apparently she missed something. "Fuck!" she shouted. "Chouji get your ass to the East, near the old arcade," she ordered. "Lee was shot in the leg."

"Shit," Naruto mumbled to himself. Lee was possibly one of the fastest capable men in the village. He was the best to send out on runs and was always enthusiastic and brightened up everyone's days (when he wasn't being slightly annoying with his joy).

The zombies beside them dropped to the ground, clean bullet holes in the center of their foreheads. No one was around and Naruto could only assume it was Shikamaru situated high above them somewhere, ready to snipe unsuspecting enemies that, if for some reason, Naruto and his other friends missed or were unable to attack. He was a brave and very smart guy, that Shikamaru, but would avoid any trouble if he could help it.

"Naruto and Hinata," Ino's voice sounded in their ears again. "Get your shit together! There's a war going on!"

Hinata nodded and immediately left his side, and Naruto felt that concern bloom in his chest again. Hinata had confessed her feelings to him less that a few weeks ago and the moment was still fresh in his mind.

"Naruto! Your left!" Ino screamed into his ear.

He turned quickly and raised his gun, pressing the trigger but no bullet came out. He cursed and went to reload while the zombie got closer and closer. His heart beat faster as he fumbled with the bullets. "Damn," he muttered. He was supposed to be able to do this quickly.

A bullet whizzed by his ear and went clean through the monsters head. He followed the line of its path and put his thumb up, thanking Shikamaru for the save. He was most likely positioned with Ino. He'd often relay plans to her to share with the rest of them.

"Idiot," Ino mumbled. "This is serious. We need you in it one hundred percent. Peoples lives are at stake."

She was right. Naruto shook his head and took aim, the fire reignited inside of him. He  _would_  defeat these monsters, including the group of people trying to hurt his friends. Rock Lee was already injured and Choji was taking him to the inner part of their village to be treated. Most of his friends were in his line of sight and he took out as many of the enemy as he could before joining Kiba and Shino with their fight.

"Be careful, you never know where the enemy will come from," Kiba said, standing back to back with Naruto. They took out a few more dead before raising their hands in the air to signal to Ino that this particular area seemed to be cleared.

"Alright, move on closer towards the gate," Ino's voice sounded in his ears. "Naruto, head a bit West towards Sakura. There are a lot of the undead there. She needs backup. Sasuke, follow him."

And so Naruto split off from Kiba, heading in the opposite direction. He saw a spot of pink and raised his gun, ready to kill some of those dead monsters. They held their own for a while before Naruto heard some words that made his heart stop.

"This side is bad," Kiba's voice crackled in their headsets. "Hinata is-"

The sound cut off.

Without thinking of the repercussions he ran to the direction Kiba had headed off to. It felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. He was so scared. He'd be damned if he let something happen to her while he was still alive.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he ran by. "Watch Sakura!"

The dark haired boy just nodded grimly.

"Neji!" Naruto heard Kiba yell.

He looked around wildly but there was too much going on. Corpses littered the blood red street, wounded lay on the ground groaning. There was so much chaos it was hard to tell the living from the dead anymore.

 _Hinata_ , Naruto thought. He was so fucking scared.

He heard a few shots and someone with dark hair fell his way. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the body land heavily on the ground but he breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was no one he knew. Most likely one of the intruders.

"Neji! This way!" Naruto heard Kiba's voice again and he turned down the ally, forcing his way through bodies, shooting and reloading. He felt like his heart was pumping a mile a minute. God, he just needed to see her. Needed to know what was happening.

He slid out of the ally, almost falling because of a pile of what could have been someone's insides that were spilled on the ground. He saw Kiba engaged withtwo women armed with spears, Akamaru nipping at their knees. Neji was making his way towards Hinata, who seemed to be fighting a group of four men on her own, before being intercepted by a man carrying a knife.

Naruto cursed. She'd normally be able to fight her way out fine but she was already looking a bit bruised and beaten and the fully grown men were carrying long swords, similar to Sasuke's katana. She was able to successfully stab one and push him to the ground but was overwhelmed by the three other men, the points of their weapons forcing her to the ground.

"NO!" Naruto yelled, cocking his gun and pulling the trigger.

It jammed.

 _Shit, shit!_  He started to panic. There was no  _time!_  There was no god damn time! She'd be dead by the time he fixed his stupid gun. He was running the entire time, he had pushed past a zombie, slamming the butt of his gun into its skull, and he got closer and closer to Hinata. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion and was playing on repeat in his head.

He watched her stab that single man and push him down as he jumped over a dead body.

He watched her turn and get surrounded by three men with long swords as he busted open a zombies head.

He watched her get pushed back to the ground as the men pointed their weapons at her threateningly around the same second he learned his gun was jammed.

He threw his gun to the ground; he'd come back for it later. He wasn't thinking about anything but her safety.

She could  _not_  die.

He unsheathed the knife strapped to his thigh and slid in front of Hinata to shield her with his body just as the men raised their swords to slice. He raised his forearms, shielding them as the weapons flew down and…stopped.

Thank god for the thick gear he had wrapped around his arms to help prevent zombie bites. The men's weapons were stuck in the thick material and they seemed frozen in shock (unfortunately for them). They had tried to kill one of the people Naruto cared deeply about and he wasn't going to let that pass lightly.

Naruto looked up and grinned maliciously at the men. "Sorry I'm late," he addressed to Hinata.

"Naruto?" she said, bewildered. When had he gotten here?

"It's all right now," he said, his arms trembling a bit from the pressure. "Go to hell," he said to the men, pushing back roughly and quickly slicing their throats faster than they could fall to the ground. A few more intruders ran at him, yelling in despair because of their fallen comrades but they seemed to be poorly trained. Naruto punched one to the side and jump kicked another. Hinata quickly finished them off as they stumbled to their knees.

This world had turned them hard. Killing the dead was now just instinct. Killing the living was an occasional necessity. It was a tough thing to do at first but now they could do nothing but become numb to the fact that they have taken the lives of other, living, breathing men.

All for the sake of their own survival and those they care about.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Naruto asked, facing her and looking at her in concern. He did a quick onceover making sure she didn't have any perilous injuries.

She nodded, her face a bit pale and shaken from her near death experience. "Yes," she nodded once before looking down, slightly downtrodden. The fight around them seemed to taper off at his arrival. "I'm sorry, Naruto," she said softly. She felt useless. He was protecting her. Endangering himself for  _her_.

"Don't let it bother you, Hinata," Naruto said gently, knowing full well where her thoughts wandered. "You've protected me before. I can't let you keep doing that. It's not cool!" he chuckled. "Don't be hard on yourself. You're strong!"

She smiled at him and he couldn't make himself tear his gaze away until they were pulled out of their reverie by the sounds of more gunshots and screaming.

"Let's go!" he said, waving her forward. She nodded and he ran, Hinata trailing behind him. He picked up his gun on his way and felt just a little bit better knowing she had his back.

.

* * *

.

That battle had lasted for many hours but finally;  _finally_ , they either killed or scared away the intruders. They spent the next few weeks trying to patch up the break in the wall and eliminate any of the undead that made their way through. They lost a lot of people that night.

Even though their numbers dwindled in the mere hundreds, if that, they still had to go on supply runs periodically. They had eventually fixed the wall as best they could but resolved to just congregate the civilians that were left into the inner part of the city and built a chain-linked fence around the perimeter. It was all they could do now.

A few more years passed and the battle against the dead raged on as strong as ever. Now they were lucky if their number  _reached_  one hundred people. So many civilians had died that they lost count. Tsunade took to handling the hospital with Sakura by her side (when she wasn't swinging her sledgehammer around, looking to mash in some zombie heads), and Kakashi, a quick guy, smart and very tactical, took over to lead Konoha. Sasuke had lost an arm to a zombie bite (luckily cutting it off stopped him from transforming into one of the beasts), Rock Lee had by then made a full recovery and was excited as ever to go explore the lands outside of their fence.

Yes, their numbers were small but the ones left were strong and capable (not to say the deceased were not. The remainder of Konoha are where they are today thanks to the sacrifices of the others).

After that battle the two hardly strayed from each other's sides and this did not go unnoticed by the others. They were often teased (by Kiba). Sakura tried her best to knock sense into Naruto's dense skull but to no avail. He'd have to come around on his own.

Naruto knew he cared deeply for Hinata. He  _knew_  he'd never let anything happen to her if he could help it. He knew his heart beat rapidly, his palms started to sweat, and his breathing would turn ragged when he thought she was in danger, but hell, that happened whenever he thought any of his friends were going to get hurt.

Right?

.

* * *

.

They were nineteen and it was supposed to be just another regular supply run. Naruto and Hinata had went on many before together. They had worked quite well as a pair, Hinata with her close combat style and Naruto versatile in all ranges (not to mention their unshakeable impulse to protect one another was an advantage when they had to make split second decisions).

It was supposed to be a pretty long mission, about a week worth of a drive. The abandoned towns nearby were wiped clean; there was absolutely nothing of value left within miles. It was going to be a time-consuming drive to one of the farther deserted settlements.

"Take a left at the next fork," Hinata said, squinting at the dirty and ragged map in her hands. "Remind me to snag a couple maps if we make it to the town," she said, rubbing at a smudge on the paper.

"What do you mean,  _if_  we make it," Naruto said. "'Course we'll make it."

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I don't mean anything badly by it," she explained. "The only reason we wouldn't make it is because I can't read this ancient map. Goodness, it's like it was made during a time when ninjas ran around."

Naruto laughed. "I miss having GPS's."

They rode in silence for a while, occasionally passing a lone zombie walking alongside the road. She sighed forlornly, staring out the window.

"What's up?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Sometimes I remember the time before all of this…"

"Before the world went to shit?"

"Mhm."

He took a hand off the steering wheel and covered hers with his, squeezing gently. "Hey, we're alive. We're living and in decent health. That's is pretty good. And I don't know about you, but I like where I am right now." He grinned at her and she tried (and failed) to suppress her blush. "Chin up, Hinata. I got a good feeling about this run. Something good is going to happen."

"To make up for all the bad that will most likely happen?" she asked with a giggle.

"Damn, Hinata," Naruto said, laughing. "You're supposed to be all positive."

"No,  _you're_  the sunshine," Hinata said before realizing what she said. Naruto glanced at her and noticed her cheeks heat up. He chuckled.

.

* * *

.

It started to rain as they neared the town they were after. An ominous sign but she tried not to think too much about it. They were driving for a few days, stopping only when they had to refill and emergencies like using the bathroom. They didn't even stop to sleep. One person drove while the other rested. There was no time to waste in this world. Every second, every minute that passed by, their friends and family were back at home trying to survive on scraps. (Well, fortunately they were able to scrounge up more than that every week or so but it sure as hell felt like they were wasting away some days).

Their primary goal for this run was food and medicine. They would hit the towns' local drug stores, and grocery stores at the minimum. In and out. They were to explore any places that looked as though they had potential but were to try and avoid danger at all costs.

Hinata squinted through the rain. It was pouring hard and it didn't help that the clouds were covering up the moon. She sighed and tried to navigate the best she could. She glanced over at Naruto, he had reclined his seat back and was resting as peacefully as you could during a zombie apocalypse. They were trained to be light sleepers, to wake up at the slightest sound, but he was knocked out (dare I say) like the dead.

She smiled.

She was glad he felt safe enough with her to be able to slumber in such a deep sleep.

Lightening flashed in the sky and thunder rumbled loudly. She ran the windshield wipers as fast as she could but it was like she was driving through a waterfall. She bit her lower lip in concern. She could hardly see the road in front of her, let alone any threats that could be around them.

But if she stopped driving they would be sitting ducks. Her gaze shifted towards the sleeping man beside her once again, his chest rising and falling steadily. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

No, she wouldn't let anything happen to him.

And so she drove on the best she could.

.

* * *

.

"Naruto," she whispered, jostling him slightly.

He was up in an instant.

"Hinata!" he said, grabbing her shoulders and looking around guardedly. When everything looked all right he narrowed his eyes at the woman before him. "Hinata…where are we?"

She gave him a sheepish smile. "The abandoned settlement," she said.

"You were supposed to wake me!" he exclaimed. "I was supposed to take the last shift here."

"You were sleeping so soundly," she said truthfully. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"You're probably exhausted now," he said, sounding slightly ashamed.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Naruto," she said, opening the glove compartment in front of him. She pulled out a few things, stuffing them in her pouch. "We should get started while it's still light out. We probably only have a few good hours left."

He started to get his things assembled too.  _Don't worry about me, Naruto_. If it was only that easy. He'd feel himself get anxious when she was just in another room while they explored new buildings.

They both hopped out of the car and entered the drug store Hinata had parked near.

"I thought it would be better than the hospital," she explained as he looked through the window. "Less people."

"So less dead," he nodded.

Fortunately this was a small town and there didn't seem to be any trouble lurking about in their immediate vicinity. It had stopped raining a long time ago and Hinata had only seen a few zombies outside of town, none while she was driving through the wide roads.

Naruto knocked on the doorframe and stood still, listening for any movement within. He wanted to make any zombies inside come to them  _now_  rather than surprise them later. He stepped in, gripping his knife firmly in his hand and she followed, her knives extended and ready.

They moved quickly through the aisles, taking what they needed from the list Sakura had given them. They were lucky. They were able to get what they needed, throw it into the car, and move on to the grocery store unscathed.

Naruto revved up the engine and glanced at the meter. "We should probably fill up the tank soon," he said.

Hinata nodded. "If we're lucky maybe we can raid the gas station for essentials to bring back."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

The grocery store was a little less simple.

They killed a couple zombies right outside first and then quietly made their way in. Hinata grabbed a few baskets (it felt silly to do so. It seemed so…normal…but it was essential. A cart would make too much noise). They stuck together and found their way to the canned food aisle. Unsurprisingly most items were gone, stolen long ago but they found a few cans stuffed far in the back of the lowest shelf. Hinata squeezed her way into the shelf, reaching for as many cans as she could grab while Naruto stood guard.

Two zombies were walking slowly past the aisle when they seemed to sense them and quickly turned and headed their way. He wanted to just shoot them but that would be a terrible mistake. It would attract all the other undead in the store and just make things harder.

"Incoming," he said, alerting Hinata of the problem. "I'll take care of it." He stepped away from her, kicked one of the zombies in the stomach, pushing him back, and grabbed the other one before sinking his knife into its skull. He took care of the next one just as easily and turned back to face Hinata when he saw another zombie uncomfortably close to the dark haired woman.

He inhaled sharply. How did it get there so quick? No time to think about that. He rushed over and pulled at its decaying shoulder, which snapped right off.

"Fuck!" he yelled, the zombie kept moving. Hinata was in no position to move, she was nestled under the shelf, feeling claustrophobic, understandably so. She kicked the creatures feet out from under it and the monster fell with a thud. Immediately Naruto was on top of it and he drove his knife down once more.

"That was too close," he growled.

She crawled back out, arms laden with cans and smiled at him hesitantly. "I got some food," she said.

Naruto's grimace at the previous situation changed to a smile. He should his head and laughed. This girl. He had a sudden urge to pull her close and kiss her. Naruto turned red.

Hinata dropped the cans into the baskets and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She tilted her head to the side and brought her hand up to his forehead. "Are you okay, Naruto? You're a bit heated."

"Fine," he croaked, picking up one of the baskets. "C'mon, let's go."

He wanted to take her hand in his free one but couldn't because of that stupid knife he needed for their defense.

Damn zombies.

.

* * *

.

"That went better than I thought!" Naruto said heartily. They had taken the time to search the gas station as well and found a few canisters of gas and even some batteries, more food, and a few other things that looked like Konoha could use. They were going to refill the cars gas tank when a group of zombies started heading their way. There were too many to face armed with just knives and they didn't want to waste any bullets when they could drive away and so here they are, driving down the path they came ready to go home.

"Ah, don't jinx it," Hinata said playfully. They were sucking on hard candies they had swiped from the gas station. It was a treat in tough times like this.

"Now we just have a few more days of driving," Naruto said, satisfied. "I think we got a pretty good haul. A bunch of cans from the grocery store, a boxful of probably stale chips. But still chips. Choji will love us. All the medicine Sakura and Tsunade asked for, plus some random stuff I grabbed off the shelf." Hinata laughed. He shrugged and grinned. "Looked fancy. I couldn't pronounce the labels so I thought, why not?"

Hinata suddenly gasped, remembering something. Naruto almost freaked out, worried something was wrong. "Oh no! I forgot to get feminine hygiene product," she groaned into her hands. "We were really running low. How could I forget something as simple as that?"

Naruto laughed and reached one arm back to the back seat before grabbing what he hoped was the right bag. He tossed it onto her lap. "Don't worry, Hina," he said (she blushed at the nickname but it went unnoticed by him). "I was the one that went down that particular aisle. Grabbed everything."

"Oh gosh," Hinata said, sifting through the bag. The girls would be overjoyed. "Thank you, Naruto, I love you." It was so casual. So natural. She didn't even realize she said it but he sure did.

He swallowed hard and felt his heart race. A good kind of race. Not the 'I'm going to die' kind of race or 'shit, she's going to get hurt'. The more like 'oh my god, she loves me' kind of race. I mean, he  _knows_  she does. She  _told_  him before she was struck down but it was still nice to hear.

It made him feel really good and he was starting to figure out why.

"Hinata. I-"

"Oh my god, Naruto," Hinata interrupted, looking straight ahead, eyes wide and face pale.

He looked up and squinted. She always did have better eyesight than him.

"Is that smoke?" she asked.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he looked off in the distance. "I think so."

"We should probably try to avoid them," she said, her voice hoarse. It was sad. Now a days they did their best to avoid meeting people that weren't part of Konoha. Outsiders were dangerous. "We need an alternate route," she bit her lip nervously and fumbled with the map, unfolding it with shaking hands.

"Hey, hey," he said, trying to get her attention. He knew sometimes humans were more dangerous than the zombies. They were smarter. They could think. He grabbed hold of her hand again as he slowed down the car. Her hand felt cold and he held it tightly, rubbing his thumb across her skin. "Don't worry, Hinata-"

"I can't read the map too well," she said, still biting her lip. Damn, she had to stop that. Naruto stared hard down the road. "It's all ripped and-

"Hinata, dig into my pocket," Naruto said, his cheeks dusted pink.

"W-what?"

Naruto cleared his throat. "My coat pocket. I have something that can help."

Hinata hesitated a little but did as she was told. Naruto tried to think of anything other than the fact that Hinata was  _this_  close to him.  _This_  close to-

"A map!" Hinata said with joy. "Naruto, you found a new one!"

He grinned as she unfolded the piece of paper like it was a treasure. "Yup, while we were at the gas station."

"Ah, this is great," she said excitedly. She went silent for a few seconds, analyzing the paths they could take. "Okay, you'll have to take the next left," she said. "Oh wow, it might even be a shorter path to Konoha…" she said to herself.

"Just tell me what to do," Naruto said kindly, placing all his trust in her.

.

* * *

.

A day or two had passed, they had to refill the cars gas tank several times, and it was once again Naruto's turn to drive. The gas was running low again and he knew they had to make a stop soon but he looked over at Hinata's sleeping body and couldn't get himself to do it.

 _Maybe this is why she didn't wake me up that time,_  he thought to himself with a sigh. She looked so peaceful, wrapped in a thick blanket they had stored in the car and was breathing softly through her nose, her bangs fluttering slightly. He had an urge to move some of the hair that covered her face behind her ear but he resisted.

Soon Hinata shifted. She stretched her arms above her head, the blanket slipping off, and stretched with a satisfied moan. Naruto blushed at her antics. She sighed, content, and blinked at him blearily, still recovering from her sleep.

"Is it my turn?" she asked with a yawn.

He smiled at her nervously. "Maybe…"

She frowned and reached for an old wristwatch they had stored in the glove compartment. "Naruto! It's been my shift for the past couple of hours!"

"But you looked so  _peaceful_ ," he insisted. "C'mon you did the same."

She pursed her lips. "Okay, okay."

"Heh," Naruto smiled like he won.

"But we can't do this again!" Hinata chastised. "We  _both_  need to get rest. Okay?"

He glanced at her concerned face and nodded. "You're right. I'll switch over to you when we stop to refill the gas," he said. "Which should be soon. It's getting dark and I think a storm's about to hit judging from the clouds."

"Okay," she said, settling back into her seat. "Tell me when."

They drove for a while longer and Hinata watched the scenery pass by. Zombies chewing on what resembled road kill (but was more likely than not some poor human), trees, some more trees, a wooden barn, trees, a winding road, some more undead…and more…and more.

She looked over at Naruto who had his eyebrows creased in worry. His eyes darted to the needle on the dashboard, they had to refill soon. He looked up at the darkening sky and the zombies that seemed to increase in number. His grip was so tight on the steering wheel that his knuckles turned white.

"Hinata…" he said slowly. "Something doesn't feel right."

"I think we should turn around," she said with a whisper. The number of the dead walking was staggering. It started with one, to five, to ten, and twenty, and now they were moving too quickly to count.

"It's a horde," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, very unlike himself. It made Hinata's heart drop and palms start to sweat.

"Turn around," Hinata said as she saw what resembled a wall of zombies congregated some distance down the road. "We can't drive through all of them. I can't see the end of them and we have to refill." She glanced at his tired face. She wished he had gotten some rest, they might need all their energy soon.

Naruto turned sharply, knocking into a few zombies. It was bumpy, driving over the undead, but he pressed down on the gas hard. This was not a good situation. Hoards were dangerous. They were relentless and overwhelming. You could slaughter ten and fifty would simply take their place. The ones near them tried to scratch at their windows but Naruto drove off as fast as he could, cursing under his breath. They couldn't drive as far away from the horse as he wanted to. They had to stop and refill soon. Dread fell over the pair as they thought about the situation.

"A barn!" Hinata gasped. "Naruto, I saw a barn before. That's the only building I think we'll be able to make it to."

He nodded grimly. He didn't like it. He wanted to drive out of the zombies path completely but they had no other choice. They would have to lay low and hope the walking dead would walk around them unnoticed.

"Take a left at the dirt road coming up," Hinata said, pointing. He did and followed it until they arrived at what looked like an abandoned, wooden building. "The door looks big enough for us to drive through," she said, starting to unbuckle her seatbelt.

Immediately Naruto's hand was on hers. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him in surprise. "I have to go open the door. We can't break it down, it'll be our only defense against the monsters."

Naruto clenched his teeth tightly. There were a few stragglers from the hoard around. The mass should arrive sooner than he hoped. "I'll help you-"

"No," she said, her voice firm. "We need to be quick about this, Naruto. I'll be okay," she said and leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Again, it was so natural and went unnoticed by the dark haired beauty. (Or did it? Perhaps out innocent Hinata understood the sway of her actions). She slipped out of the door as he came back to his senses. He watched her carefully, pulling out his gun, ready to kill anyone,  _anything_ , that tried to hurt her.

Hinata stabbed and killed the few zombies that were walking around and ran to the large barn doors. She struggled with the heavy chain wrapped around the handles but they were slightly rusted and she was able to break them apart using an old pipe on the ground. She swung the doors open and the headlights from the car illuminated the inside.

The large ground floor was littered with empty crates, spare wooden planks, and was pretty empty as far as a barn could go. Hinata raised her hand to stop Naruto from driving in yet and walked into the building slowly to take out any threats.

She disappeared from his view and he felt himself getting restless again. God, he hated this. Who knew how close the horde was getting and what danger lay inside the building. Their only sanctuary could easily be the cause of their death. They were going to be stuck in there and were to wait out the approaching zombies.

_Plop._

_Plop. Plop._

Naruto looked up.

Great. Now it was raining.

He tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. It felt like forever but surely only a few minutes had passed since Hinata went to explore the inside.

Finally he saw her again and she looked perfectly fine. She gave him a thumbs up and waved him inside. As soon as the car passed through the doors Hinata pushed them shut and wrapped the rusted chains as best she could. For extra precaution she jammed the metal pipe between the handles as well.

Naruto was filling up the tank while Hinata continued to do recon of the building, seeing if there was anything that could help them. She grabbed a few of the wooden planks and threw them into the trunk of the car. Perhaps they would come in handy to reinforce Konoha's defenses. But she had to think of the immediate danger right now. She glanced up and saw a hayloft over the barn. There was a broken ladder near the top but how could they reach it? She frowned and examined at her options.

"There," Naruto said, closing the hood of the car. He smiled at Hinata as she approached him but she brushed past him and started to climb on top of the car. "Er, Hinata what are you doing? We probably only have a few minutes until the horde's on top of us."

"G-give me a boost, will you?" she asked hesitantly. Her back was to him but if he saw her face he would be able to see it was red. She stood on the roof of the car and Naruto scrambled up next to her. "We can go up there," she said, pointing at the hayloft. "I need to reach the ladder."

"Got it," Naruto said in understanding. He crouched down and Hinata got onto his shoulder, both of them blushing slightly. He stood and Hinata grabbed hold of the ladder and made her way up.

"Naruto, can you pass the blanket and some water bottles and stuff up here?"

He rummaged through their car and tossed the things she asked for along with a few extra bags with certain essentials. Who knew how long they would be stuck in this place? It was better to stay up there than be trapped in the car if the situation came to it. The zombies couldn't climb.

Next Hinata helped pull Naruto up and they moved the ladder into a corner of the hayloft. Now, nothing would be able to get up but they would easily be able to get down.

"Now what?" Naruto asked, settling into the blanket they spread on the springy hay.

"We wait it out," Hinata said listening to the storm raging outside. There were telltale sounds of zombies shuffling about outside and she dared to glance out a small, circular window near them. The moon was clouded from view and the trees whipped around angrily. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw what looked like hundreds upon hundreds of zombies making their way around the barn to go who knows where.

"What's it like?" Naruto asked, unwrapping a piece of candy and tossing one to her.

She crawled her way beside him, shivering slightly. "Bad."

His heart sank and he pressed his shoulder against hers. "Hey, we'll be fine," he said. "That's a promise."

She laughed weakly at his declaration but nodded. "You should get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

Naruto yawned. "Alright," he said, sprawling out on the blanket. "Actually wake me up this time though okay? No matter how cute you think I look while sleeping."

Her blushing face was the last thing he saw before sleep overtook him.

.

* * *

.

So we're back to the beginning.

It really was her fault, he would think. She offered to take first watch and  _she's_  the one that woke him up like that.

No, it was  _his_  fault, she'd think.  _He_  said yes to take the second shift and was knocked out in an instant.

By now the storm had settled down to a faint drizzle, it was quite calming actually and the sounds of zombies seemed to have thinned out a bit. A few curious ones still happened to scratch at their door before moving on and being replaced by others but all in all she felt pretty safe up in the hayloft. She'd much rather be here than staring out into the dark trees, seeing nothing, her ears straining for the slightest sound of leaves rustling or twigs breaking. No, up here she felt safer.

Naruto's warmth beside her heated her heart and built upon her feeling of ease. The moonlight shone through the small window, making his serene face visible to her. She wanted to run her fingers along the whisker marks of his cheeks he had gotten from a fight gone wrong long ago. He was snoring softly and she took the time to glance down at his body. (Oh god, she was not getting younger, life was short in this new world, and she couldn't help it! He was so damned attractive).

She huffed and looked away, picking at some hay. I guess it was as good a time as any to wake him up. She twirled a strand of hay in her fingers and glanced down at his sleeping form once more. Carefully she ran the length of the straw along a whisker line and he  _jolted_ awake.

She was pinned down onto the blanket, his eyes narrowed like a fox, glowing powerfully in the moonlight. He held the knife that was normally strapped to his thigh near her head and she stared at him in complete bewilderment, her eyes wide and her heart pumping wildly.

He blinked a few times before his eyes mimicked hers and grew in size as the situation dawned on him.

"Ah, shit!" he exclaimed, sheathing his knife quickly as he moved up off of her. "My bad, Hinata. Instinct."

"Y-yes," she said, clearing her throat. "That's okay, I shouldn't have surprised you." Her cheeks were red; she could feel the heat spreading through her body and not because of fright.

"You alright?"

"F-fine," she said, wincing at her stutter. She lost that around him years ago but sometimes it would sneak its way back. She couldn't make eye contact with him and he crawled over to her, his face mere inches away from her own.

"Ya sure?"

"Mhm," she nodded.

"I didn't hurt you right?" he asked, bringing a finger to her cheek to see if his knife made contact. Her gaze met his and she was surprised to see distress in his eyes.

"Are  _you_  okay?" she asked, flabbergasted.

With his hand still on her cheek, he rubbed her skin gently with his thumb. "I could have easily killed you," he said, chuckling darkly but there was no humor in his tone. "Out of everything we've been through  _I_  could have killedyou. Not some zombie. Not an outsider. But  _me_ ," he closed his eyes. "I can't lose you, Hinata. I  _can't_. If something happened to you, I'd…I'd…"

"We're okay," she said, bringing her hands to his cheeks. " _We're_  okay."

His eyes were dark again but not because he was scared. Their hearts were beating fast, almost in sync, and as if out of instinct they moved closer and closer until their lips touched.

It was a bit sloppy and inexperienced, but tender and full of emotion. She had wanted this for so long. Her fingers weaved their way through his blonde hair as he deepened the kiss, pressing his body against hers. She took the lead, surprisingly. She peppered her kisses across his face, smiling slightly and she giggled when his fingers brushed against her waist.

Naruto pushed her back a little, grinning mischievously at her put out expression. She realized what he was going to do just a nanosecond before he did it. He pushed her onto the blanket, tickling her sides. She did her best to stifle her laugher.

"Na-Naruto!" she said between laughs. "We have to be quiet!"

"Better stop laughing then, Hime!" he said playfully.

Tears had gathered in the corner of her eyes as a large smile adorned her face. She was wriggling underneath him, her body grazing against his and he couldn't help but admire the woman beneath him. His ministrations slowed as he admired her plump lips, smooth skin, (slightly marred with dirt and grime but that's to be expected in a violent world like theirs) and curvy body.

She took advantage of his absentmindedness (not oblivious to his scrutiny as was proved by the pink creeping up to her cheeks) and pushed him off her to reverse their positions. Now she was on top of him, her hands running along his chest and stomach, and was rewarded with a cry of surprise and soon muffled laughter.

She stopped her tickling as she leaned against him, laughing lightly. She shifted and then froze. Naruto's face turned bright red and his breath caught in his throat.

Naruto was  _hard_  and she was sitting right on top of him, straddling his hips, his erection pressing right between her legs. They seemed to stare at each other in silence for a very,  _very_  long time. Neither of them moved and Naruto seemed to be grasping for words, to apologize for his…situation, to say  _anything,_  and Hinata didn't know what got over her. The fact that danger lay at every corner, that death could be just seconds away, and that the man she had loved for so long found her attractive enough to get this way…she  _moved_.

Naruto's breath hitched as he watched Hinata experimentally rub against him, her hands splayed against the hard planes of his chest.

He licked his lips and swallowed hard and said, with a ragged, deep breath, "Hinata."

Hinata rocked and rolled her hips against him, the warning tone in his voice going unnoticed by her ears. He didn't utter a word of warning a second time, instead he placed his hands on top of hers and trailed them up her arms before dropping them and gripping her hips tightly. Their eyes locked and she went to stop her movements but he pushed his hips up to meet her from below.

"I love you," he stated as easily as he could say the dead walked the Earth, the sky was blue, and her eyes shone like the moon.

She inhaled slowly, her mouth turning up into a smile, and her eyes filling with emotion.

He held her in place, stopping the friction between the two for a second.

"I love you," he repeated. The words tumbled out and they were  _true_. He could feel it. He understood why he felt so scared whenever she was outside of his line of site. Why his hands curled into fists when she saw him conversing with random guys from Konoha. Why he found himself watching her, not just looking for injuries, but also watching the way her hips swayed and her hair framed her face. Why he felt like all the lights and fires in the world were extinguished when he thought she was going to die.

"I'm in love with you, Hinata," he said. He repeated the words over and over as her shoulders shook and tears of joy fell from her eyes. She whispered his name happily and he sat up with Hinata still seated on his lap and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I've loved you for so long, Naruto," she confessed, letting out a choked laugh.

"I know," he said, his heart thumping against his chest. "I think I have too," he admitted, running his fingers through her hair. She leaned her head against his touch and he took the opportunity to kiss the skin on her neck. He suckled and licked the saltiness from her as she hummed in appreciation. "You sure about this?" he asked, his breath hot against her skin.

"More sure than anything in this godforsaken world," she said. The words were harsh but her tone was soft and comforting.

Rain pattered against the window, drowning the sounds of zombies moving about outside. The world of the dead disappeared from the minds of the two soon to be lovers that night.

Their clothes sat abandoned on the stacks of hay beside them, the rain speckled window now fogged up, hiding the gruesome scene outside.

Naruto lay on his back; naked as the day he was born, with Hinata, clothed similarly, straddling his hips. They decided she would set the pace. Naruto didn't want to do anything to her that would cause her more pain than necessary. He held her hips and guided her down on top of him, suppressing a moan of pleasure. Her eyes twisted shut and she bit her lips, breathing heavily as she adjusted to the feeling of having him inside her.

"Sorry," she huffed, her naked chest heaving. She could feel him shift underneath her but he waited until she was ready.

"Don't be," he said, his voice deep as he caressed her face and ran a finger across the scar under the curve of her breast. The scar that proved she would give her life for him and reminded him that he couldn't live without her.

Her eyes fluttered open again and she stared into his bright blue ones, glazed over with lust. She circled her hips experimentally and she heard him inhale sharply.

"Oh god," she exclaimed, stopping herself. "Did I do something wrong?"

Naruto groaned, his fingernails digging into the soft skin around her hips. "Fuck no," he said vulgarly. "Ah, Hinata, that feels so good."

She blushed and started to rock again and he started to move with her. Naruto moaned loud and long and Hinata gasped and covered his mouth with her hands.

"Na-Naruto, keep it down," she whispered as he continued to thrust into her. Her eyes were half lidded as she suppressed groans of her own.

Naruto chuckled and kissed her hands. "Can't help it, Hinata," he said, staring at her lustfully. "Don't worry, the rain should hide our sounds. Anyway it feels so-"

Hinata muffled his mouth by kissing him hard. Naruto held onto her tightly and sat up, pressing his forehead against hers as she rode him to bliss.

.

* * *

.

"I was right when I said something good was going to happen on this trip," Naruto said cheekily as Hinata lay on top of him, running her fingers along the contours of his chest.

Hinata blushed. "It's your fault this happened," she said with a cute little pout. He wanted to just kiss her.

"Whatdya mean my fault? Gosh, if you didn't tell me you loved me that time-"

"You said you loved me up here  _first._  And anyway if you had woken me up when it was my turn to take my shift when we were driving  _you_  would have had first watch in this barn. And then  _you_  would have woke me up and you wouldn't have jumped me like you did-"

"You know what?" Naruto said, tightening his grip on her and pressing his face into her hair. "You're confusing me."

Hinata laughed and kissed him lovingly on his lips. "I love you."

"I love  _you_."

They didn't care whose fault it was because they both were more than happy to willingly accept the consequences.

.

* * *

.

Extra:

When they got back to Konoha (safely, and happier than ever), a little bit later than expected but with more supplies than they were supposed to (no one complained about that little fact) Kiba sifted through the bags they had filled with items from the drug store and smirked at the lovely couple knowingly. He held up a box of opened condoms.

"Pretty sure these are usually closed when you find them in stores."

The two blushed.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love zombie stuff and this was a joy to write. Had a bit more action perhaps compared to the older chapters but still chockfull of NaruHina romance.
> 
> Love always,
> 
> Magma


	4. 41-80

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of unrelated short snippets centered mainly on Naruto and Hinata. Be warned: there may be some that are sad, funny, angsty, humorous, etc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They do not follow any particular chronological timeline.

 

 

**41) Jug**

"Did you see the jugs on that women?" "Keep it down, she's a Hyuga." "I don't see any of those white eyes around." "Yea, the curves on that one. Man the things I would do to her in my bed…" "And on the floor and on the table." The men snickered. They didn't notice a tall, blonde young man approach them. "Excuse me, but how would you do  _anything_ after I castrate you and leave you for dead for talking about my girlfriend that way?"

**42) Cruise Ship**

A couple days into their honeymoon Hinata was throwing up in the toilet and it was  _not_  because of seasickness.

**43) Arthritis**

She couldn't believe after all of those years of training and surviving all those battles she was being taken down by her own body.

**44) Fan**

He was very popular now that he was Hokage and she understood why he had his own fan club. So now she sat there in the room with the Hyuga elders and Hiashi and a couple of young, noble, men. She held a fan in front of her face as the suitors made their plea to win her hand in marriage.

**45) Stream**

One night Hinata took his hand and led him to a small waterfall. She stripped in front of him and as he leaned in to kiss her she pushed him away and he felt a tinge of hurt. She gave him a small smile and motioned for him to watch. She stepped onto the water and as she danced he remembered. She was the one. She was always the one. That beautiful woman he remembered was… _is…_  his wife.

**46) Chess**

He never beat her at the game and he was happy she never went easy on him. Of course neither of them ever gave up. Sometimes when he'd get frustrated though he'd knock the pieces aside, jump up and kiss her. She'd say that was cheating but he didn't care. In the end as her lips moved against his, he knew he won.

**47) Galaxy**

His blue eyes always reminded her of the sky. It made her think of freedom and of something infinite. Her white eyes made him feel happy, light and pure. Together their eyes made a galaxy of their own.

**48) Bonus**

When she first told him she was pregnant he was ecstatic. He jumped out the window and screamed it out to the world. He came back beaming and couldn't stop kissing her. Between the kisses she was able to tell him they were having twins. This time he couldn't get the words out. He stared at her with wide eyes and she wiped the tears of joy running down his face.

**49) Berry**

"Hinata, look, I found some berries we could eat!" "Oh, Naruto, don't eat those they—" "Huh? What did you say Hinata?" he asked through his chewing. "Oh…nothing," Hinata said quietly. A few hours later she rubbed his back as he vomited out the food he ate.

**50) Essay**

Naruto didn't like the topic of the essay they were assigned to do by Iruka sensei.  _Who do you want to become a ninja for?_ Naruto wasn't sure.  _Who is there that wants me? Who is there that_ I  _want to protect?_  He didn't have an answer then.

**51) Shopping**

Hinata didn't really like shopping. Especially now, and even though her girl friends fawned over how nice she looked she still thought the white dress clashed with her skin.

**52) Seesaw**

He used to take her out here after dinner at Ichiraku's. He sat down on one side of the childrens plaything and tensed at the memories that seeped into his mind. She'll never be back to balance the other half of the seesaw.

**53) Wallet**

He was sad when his frog coin purse ripped open from the bottom but the next day when Hinata handed it back to him stitched back together, he smiled, appreciating the small gesture.

**54) Envelope**

He sifted through the mail until he came upon the one labeled  _Naruto_ in neat little letters. She was off on a mission and this was his only source of communicating with her. He opened it and a picture slipped out. He bent down and picked it up. Hinata was standing facing the side with her hand was on her slightly rounded stomach. Naruto stared at it in confusion.  _What? So she gained a little weight?_ He flipped the picture over and in neat writing she wrote,  _Change of plans Naruto-kun. I'll be returning to Konoha because I'm no longer eligible to go on missions for the next couple of months. See you sooner than you think. Love, Hinata._ He connected the clues and grinned.

**55) Comet**

This celestial object was only discernable to the naked human eye once every century but they still couldn't part from each other long enough to care.

**56) Garden**

At first he was embarrassed that she found out he liked to garden but then she would join him in shorts and a tank top and he wouldn't be red from embarrassment anymore.

**57) Blood**

He had a permanant slight tremor in his right hand now. Tsunade said it was psychological. He couldn't stop remembering when he had to kill her. She begged him to just end it. His salty tears mixed with her red blood…blood. There was  _so much blood._

**58) Mud**

She hated mud. She hated it sticking to her clothes and getting into her hair. She hate the squishing sound it made and how it sucked her feet into the ground. But she tolerated it because she had to admit it was very fun just playing in the rain with him.

**59) Prison**

She stared at him through the bars sadly and he looked at her back with wide, rapidly moving eyes. "You aren't really there," he said. "You're not. You're not. She died. She died and I could have saved her. I killed her. Why does my head hurt?" She wanted to reach out to him. "Naruto-" her voice cracked. "Why can I still see you? Why does it hurt right here?" He said clutching his chest. "Where am I? Why can I only see red? I killed her. She died. She died and I could have saved her. I killed her-" He kept repeating those words and she turned and left and only let the tears flow after she couldn't hear his insane, broken, ramblings anymore.

**60) Crowd**

He just wanted some alone time with his girlfriend but each time there was some type of interruption. He would get an urgent message from Tsunade or Hinata would get whisked away by her team or the girls. She would be busy with the Hyuga family or he would be on a mission. There would always be some type of crowd around. It wouldn't bother Hinata much but he wasn't used to all this attention. All this  _positive_  attention associated with her.

**61) Smile**

A drastic turn of events during the fight with Pain led to the death of the only person that he remembered telling him they loved him. They tell him she smiled before she fought Pain. He didn't even get to see her last smile.

**62) Laundry**

She scrubbed the orange clothes hard but she couldn't get all the blood out. The red overpowered the orange. She didn't know why she was struggling with this. He wouldn't be wearing it again.

**63) Saliva**

He drooled when he slept. The first night she stayed over he was too nervous to sleep for that very reason.  _I could sleep on my back but what if I snore then? Sleeping on my side would make my drooling worse._ His worries vanished when he felt her head against his chest. She didn't mind his snoring that night.

**64) Coal**

On a mission gone wrong some Leaf Ninja found the Kyubi boy digging frantically and futilely through a collapsed mine. "She's down there! Help me!" They had to pull him away when he wouldn't stop throughout the night. He screamed and cried into his cracked and bleeding hands.

**65) Anchor**

On the days she thought she was worthless and weak he'd be there to keep her afloat. On the days he would feel unwanted and evil she would lead him ashore.

**66) Crisis**

He received a message that Hinata was in the hospital and she was in perilous condition. There Tsudade gave him a choice. There were complications with her delivery and they could only save one. His wife or his child.

**67) Old**

They promised they would grow old together. That was the only promise he didn't keep to her.

**68) Pattern**

After living together for so long they had established a routine. Hinata would normally have homemade ramen waiting for him when he came back. He would usually stand watch near the Konoha gates waiting for her but one day that pattern broke and the one remaining was devastated.

**69) Damnation**

They all glared at her as she walked by, spitting in her path and whispering angry words. "Stop associating with him," they'd say. "He's a monster," they'd yell. "You could do better." "He doesn't deserve you." "You're going to regret this."  _No. I could rot in hell before anyone stopped us from being together._

**70) Glamor**

She never really considered herself attractive. She'd wear baggy clothing and hardly ever don anything bright. But even when she'd come back dirty and messy from a mission he'd make her feel stunning.

**71) Sauce**

They had just started dating and were eating at Ichiraku's when he leaned over and she felt his lips brush her cheek. "You had some sauce on your cheek," he said with a grin. "You got some here too," he continued, pressing his lips against hers.

**72) Blissfully**

A horrible battle was being fought between the Land of Fire and another far off land. Right now they were at a stalemate and both sides of the battlefield were quiet and deserted. There was an unspoken agreement between the clashing villages that the soldiers would take this time to recuperate. Amidst the tension and anxiousness of waiting, ninjas everywhere were finding their friends and loved ones, unsure if they would see each other again.  _They_  were in his tent, for the moment, blissfully unaware of anything but each other.

**73) Crossfire**

It was an accident…people thought. For her it wasn't. She purposefully jumped in front of the sharp objects heading towards her immobile lover even though she would be unable to stop them due to chakra exhaustion. He was unable to move and she would be  _damned_  if she let him die.

 **74)**   **Abattoir**

Naruto was jumping through the trees as fast as he could, not waiting for the other ninjas following him as backup. Tsunade received word that the mission Hinata was on went wrong. It was an undercover mission but they were exposed and didn't know it. When he reached the scene it was a slaughterhouse. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't sense  _anyone's_ chakra in there and he didn't know if that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

**75) Pandemic**

People were dropping like flies over the whole country and when she got the first symptoms of the outbreak he wanted to cry. She knew what was going to happen. It would start off slow but slowly her body would atrophy. People showing symptoms were immediately taken into isolation and so far no one ever came back. He never got to see her in her last moments.

**76) Rabbits**

When Naruto first started getting feelings for Hinata, Kurama was surprisingly okay with that. He was compliant. "Foxes hunt rabbits." He said simply. Naruto wasn't sure if he should be offended for her.

**77) Beautiful**

For a while he thought Hinata was the most beautiful thing in his life. That was before his first baby was born. Now he was seeing beauty everywhere.

**78) Truth**

She could tell when he was lying. When he said he no longer wanted to be with her and that their relationship wasn't working out she quietly agreed. He could tell when she was lying too.

**79) Smut**

"Hey Hinata!" Kiba said, waving to his teammate. He sniffed and a sly grin formed on his face. She was smiling but the smile wavered at the mischievous look on the dog lovers face. "You smell like Naruto," he stated simply. She blushed.

**80) Drunk**

She didn't get drunk. Ever. It wasn't a Hyuga thing to do. But at the party after their recent breakup she watched him dance with the pink haired kunoichi and downed drink after drink. But the pain  _still wouldn't go away._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing these; I hope you enjoyed reading them!
> 
> Please review telling me which you liked best, which you hated, and if you would like me to continue adding more! 
> 
> -Magma E.


	5. One-Shot 3: Asylum AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's to say what's real and what isn't? The only thing that's valid and true in all universes is their love for one another.

 

She was already there when he started working.

Along with his regular job as a security guard, it was also his job to go from room to room and give the patients their medicine.

He was surprised when he opened the door to her room. She was sitting in bed with a small book in her hands and when she looked up she greeted him with a smile. It was so  _normal_. She said hello and thanked him for the little cup with her pills and took them without any hassle. No fuss, no yelling, just a peaceful tranquility. She bookmarked her page, uncrossed her legs, slid off of her neatly made bed and met him in the middle of the room.

The first thing he noticed about her was her hair. It was long and dark and almost looked blue in the sunlight that shone through the single barred window in her room. She was pale, perhaps because she wasn't allowed to go out much, and her eyes were light, almost white, but he could almost tell they were filled with stories. He thought she was beautiful but he forced the thought to the back of his mind. She was a patient here. His thoughts were completely out of bounds.

She was short; he thought when he handed her the medicine. Her crisp, white gown hung loosely off of her petite body. She opened her mouth to allow him to inspect her and after he confirmed she took the pills she went right back to her bed and picked up the book she was reading.

He left her room, almost forgetting he worked in an insane asylum that was home to people who committed criminal acts.

What could  _she_  have done to get herself landed in here?

Why was she here and why was he so caught up with her? Why was she so familiar?

He paused. She thanked him with his  _name_. How did she know that? He glanced down and snorted. Duh. Nametag. That had to be it. But he couldn't scratch the feeling that he knew her from somewhere else.

The number one thing that kept running through his mind as they went about the same ritual day after day after day was, she sure as hell didn't seem crazy.

She seemed normal.

And so what could have happened for her to land in a place like this?

.

* * *

.

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto said, leaning over the small window that separated the main room where the patients spent a lot of their time and the nurses room. It was like a very large living room equipped with a few worn out couches, an old television hanging in the corner, a couple tables, and magazines scattered about. His pink haired workmate was sorting through the medicine locked in the room before she turned around at his greeting.

"Hi, Naruto," she said, slipping on her doctors robe. "What's up?"

Naruto cleared his throat a little and scratched his cheek, smiling sheepishly. "What do you know about Patient 1227?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I don't have the numbers memorized, Naruto."

"Hinata Hyuga."

Sakura pursed her lips and looked at him suspiciously. " _Why_?" she asked slowly. "You know any type of relation between worker and patient-"

Naruto shook his head quickly and held his hands up defensively. "No, no, it's nothing like that!" he insisted. "I'm just curious."

Sakura tapped her foot and looked at him with a sigh. "Think back, Naruto. Don't you remember her from elementary school?"

"What?" Naruto asked, standing up straighter.

Sakura gave him a look that was almost sad. "She was quiet, polite, and really nice. Didn't say much when you were around."

Naruto scrunched up his face in concentration before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh my god, she's the one that was willing to help me pass our final one of those years. She was so nice."

"You guys had so much potential back then," Sakura mumbled to herself.

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "Anyway, you remember her now?"

Naruto nodded, still thinking. "She didn't come back one year though…"

"Apparently her family put her into some fancy, rich private school," Sakura informed him. "Honestly, I don't blame anyone in our class that doesn't remember her. She wasn't there too long."

Naruto stared into space, in awe. That's why she was so familiar. She was a sweet girl. Sometimes she had acted a bit weird around him. Their old classmates would tease her about it but he never understood why. "She just…she doesn't seem like she belongs here."

As if the universe wanted to prove a point, there came shouts from behind him and he turned and saw a pair of women yelling at each other, throwing up rude hand gestures. One took a swing at the other but a man with black hair, dressed in a security outfit quickly intervened and pushed the two apart. A few other guards came by and helped lead the women back to their rooms for the rest of the day.

The dark haired man shook his head as he watched the brawlers being led down a hallway and he turned and approached Naruto and Sakura.

"Hey Sasuke," Sakura said, a big smile adorning her face. "Good work there."

"I don't know why I picked working in a women's asylum," Sasuke said with a sigh. He narrowed his eyes at a group of women whispering in the corner, laughing heartily but very suspiciously. "I can't deal with it."

"You're doing fine," Sakura reassured. "There hasn't been trouble in a while."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked with a laugh. "There're fights like every other day."

"Nothing  _too_  violent," Sakura amended.

They were silent as they watched the patients going about their daily lives. The double doors leading to the patients quarters opened and a small woman walked in, sitting down daintily in a plastic chair, her book in tow.

" _She_  has never caused me trouble yet," Sasuke said pointing discretely.

"Hinata?" Sakura asked. "Me either. She takes her medicine when she's told. Doesn't fight with the other inmates. And from what Choji tells me, she's pretty quiet compared to the rest of the patients when they're in the dining commons."

"Best patient anyone can ask for," Naruto summed up, his eyes stuck on the woman of topic. He tore his gaze away and looked at his pink haired friend imploringly. He still felt like there was more to the story. He'd seen her before, and he was not talking about elementary school all those years ago. "Now about Hinata…"

"No."

" _Sakura_! I didn't even get to ask my question."

" _No_ , Naruto," Sakura said, stepping up to the open glass window separating the two men and herself. She cleared her throat and gave him a little wink. "I can't give information about patients away when it has nothing to do with their care. Look at her. She's about our age, early twenties or something and she's stuck in a  _mental asylum_. Poor thing."

"I just want to know-"

"No." And with that said Sakura slammed shut the glass window, giving them a little wave.

Sasuke smirked slightly and Naruto just scowled at his friend.

"What about you, Sasuke," Naruto said. "What do you know about her?"

"What's her last name again?" Sasuke asked, with his arms crossed.

"Hyuga."

Sasuke's eyebrows came together and he frowned. "Hyuga… Aren't those the rich bastards whose son or something recently died?"

Naruto shrugged. He had heard something like that on the news a while back. Was that the other reason why she looked so familiar to him when he first saw her? Maybe on the news.

Sasuke sighed. "That's pretty much all I know. He was supposed to take over their company or something but he passed away. Murdered, apparently. I don't know. My brother mentioned it a while back. Said it sounded suspicious and I agree."

Naruto felt his throat go dry as he stared at the Hyuga in their ward. He frowned. She couldn't have had anything to do with that…

Could she?

.

* * *

.

It took him a couple months to pluck up the courage to actually talk to her.

"Hi, Hinata," he said. He wanted to slap himself. Her name.  _That's_  the only thing he was able to add to their daily conversations? Hi, hey, hello, yes, no, thank you, good-bye.  _Seriously, Uzumaki_?

She blinked at him, her small hands holding onto the paper cup with her medicine tightly. "H-hi, Naruto," she said, her cheeks dusted lightly with pink.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Nice day out, huh?"

It took all his self-control to not roll his eyes at his own words.  _The weather?_  Was he serious? The patients were rarely taken outside.

She smiled slightly, almost as if holding herself back. Naruto could have sworn she was going to laugh. "Yes, it's beautiful."

 _Don't fuck this up,_  Naruto thought to himself. "What book are you reading?"

" _Tales of a Gutsy Ninja_ ," Hinata said, handing him the empty cup back.

Naruto's mouth fell open. "What? No way! That's like my favorite book  _ever_." And he meant it.

Hinata's smile widened and Naruto vowed to get her to smile more often. It was a nice sight to see amidst the rest of the things that went on in the building.

Then her smile vanished. She picked at the hem of her dress as her eyes shifted nervously. "Ah, my…my late brother gifted it to me."

Naruto felt sad for the woman before him. He wanted to just give her a hug. "Well, whoever he was, he sure had good taste," he grinned at her. "I'm sure he's glad you're enjoying the book," he hesitated. "You  _are_  enjoying it, right?"

Hinata nodded vigorously. "Very much so! It has the perfect amount of action and humor and romance-" She stopped herself, her eyes darting away from him and her cheeks going red again.

Naruto couldn't help but feel enamored by her cute reactions. "Well, if you ever want anyone to talk to about it, I'd be more than happy to!"

She smiled at his generosity and whispered a hushed thank you as he left to continue his rounds.

The months following they were seen often in the main lounge conversing and laughing together about a book the other patients enviously wished they had read.

.

* * *

.

"It's gone!" Hinata said, her heart thumping wildly. She was tearing her normally spotless room apart, searching under her pillows, beneath the mattress,  _everywhere_.

Naruto walked in on the scene, his medicine cart rattling as he came to a stop outside her room. He saw the Hyuga ransacking her own room, looking like she was going to burst out into tears. He immediately rushed to her side, protocols be damned, and pulled her into his arms, hushing her, and whispering words to calm her down.

"What's gone?" he asked, once her sniffles quieted.

"The-the book," she said, clutching at his shirt. "The only thing I have left of him…and it's  _gone_."

Naruto held her tighter, glowering at nothing in particular. He'd find this book. It had to be in one of the other patient's possession. There was no other explanation.

.

* * *

.

A few weeks had passed since Hinata's book went missing and though they found plenty of other things to talk about he could tell she was still sad that one of her prized possessions was gone.

"Hey, Naruto," a girl with almost gray looking, long, straight hair was leaning against the wall, giving him a sultry smile.

Naruto looked up from his cart. His face turned impassive as he continued to hand Sakura the medicine to store away. "Oh, hello, Shion." He remembered her. She was supposedly instituted here because she got violent visions of the future.  _Apparently_. Who knew if they were true? Naruto didn't particularly believe them. But whether they were true or not, she still found herself in Konoha's Womens Institute for the Criminally Insane.

The girl named Shion pouted at his inattentiveness. She stepped closer, flipping her hair over her shoulder, one strap of her dress slipping off her shoulder. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"My job," he said curtly. This girl acted too spoiled for his taste. She'd cause trouble in the dining commons, complaining that the food was too cold, or she couldn't eat this or that, and frankly it was annoying.

And she was always all over him when he clearly showed no interest.

"Say, Naruto," Shion started, looking at him with a glint in her eyes. "Have you ever read the book,  _Tales of a Gutsy Ninja?_ "

Naruto froze, one hand resting on the counter. He turned to look at her slowly and narrowed his eyes. "Maybe, have you?"

The woman looked happy. "I have! Would you like to talk about it?"

Naruto grit his teeth. It had to be her. It had to be. But he couldn't just accuse her of stealing, could he?

Turns out he didn't have to.

"Shion, did you take my book?" came a soft voice from behind him.

Shion narrowed her eyes at Hinata and placed her hands on her hips. "Why would I take anything from you?"

"My book went missing, I was just wondering if-"

"Are you calling me a  _thief_ , Hyuga?" Shion hissed.

Naruto watched the dark haired young woman take a deep breath as her hands curled into fists. "I am not, I'm simply asking-"

"Look, you can't have everything, Hinata," Shion said, pushing past him and poking Hinata in the chest.

Naruto had just about enough but he froze in bewilderment at her next few sentences.

"God, you walk in here like you own the place," Shion continued. "Sitting in your corner, silently stealing the attention for yourself."

"Attention?" Hinata asked, confused. "What do-"

"From  _Naruto_ ," Shion said with mirthful laughter. "Everyone sees the way he looks at you." Hinata was blushing and shaking her head. "Don't even try to hide it. What does he see in you?" At this point Shion was shaking Hinata's shoulders roughly. She yanked at her dark hair. "Must be this-"

"Shion, that's enough," Naruto said firmly, grasping her arm. "Sasuke!" he called but noticed Sakura was already on the phone, frantically calling for security.

"I'm done, I'm done," Shion said, pushing herself away. "I'm going to the dining commons." She whipped around and stormed off and the guards followed in tow, just in case.

Naruto watched her retreat before turning to look at Hinata who was looking upset.

"You alright?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"She has it," she said softly. "I know it."

Naruto agreed. "Don't worry, Sasuke's head of security. He'll get to the bottom of this."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. But he could sense she was thanking him for more than just the book.

He smiled. "You're welcome."

.

* * *

.

That night there was havoc.

Shion had apparently made her way into Choji's kitchen and gotten herself a pair of scissors which, thankfully, were used only on herself. Her hair in particular. She chopped off the front to give herself bangs similar to Hinata's and made a big scene out of it.

"Now I look like her!" she had screamed. "Naruto! Look at me, Naruto!  _Look_ at  _me!_ " she shouted as Sasuke rounded up Rock Lee and a couple other guards to help sedate her and take her to isolation.

Naruto stood beside Hinata, both their eyes wide at the scene before them.

"She's crazy," Hinata said quietly to him before slapping her hands over her mouth. "I-I mean-"

Naruto smirked at her. "There's a reason she's in here." Sometimes he honestly forgot there was a reason that  _Hinata_  was in here as well.

"She'll be out of your hair for now," Hinata had whispered to him with a giggle.

He chuckled. "Poor choice of words, Hinata. But you're right."

He'd grown fond of her quiet, calming presence.

.

* * *

.

It was peaceful for a while. Naruto had had to be working at the asylum for over a year now. He'd gotten to know a lot of the patients names and many had grown fond of him. He had befriended a lot of his coworkers, and felt oddly content working with the insane.

Hinata was happy too now that she got her book back. Even after working there for so long he still didn't understand why Hinata of all people was given a home here. He desperately wanted to ask her but feared sounding callous and didn't want to stir up any bad memories she may have.

Fortunately she's the one that talked first.

"Naruto, I'm scared," Hinata said truthfully one day as he handed her her medicine.

He stared at her in confusion. "Why? Are any of the patients giving you trouble?"

She shook her head, hand trembling slightly. "Tsunade told me my father came by…" she whispered.

Tsunade was the head of the asylum. She was a nice lady; he didn't realize why Hinata would be scared at the prospect of her family visiting.

"Why're you scared?" he asked genuinely. "Wouldn't you be happy your dad came by?"

Hinatas eyes widened and she curled her hand tightly around the cup, crushing the contents inside. "You-you believe the news then?"

Now Naruto was very confused. "What?"

Hinata tilted her head. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Why I'm here?"

Naruto was worried before but now he was extra intrigued  _and_  worried. "Honestly, I have no idea."

Hinata swallowed. "You might not like me anymore after I tell you," she said softly.

Naruto smiled at her. "You don't have to worry about me not liking you Hinata. You're my friend. I care for you."

She looked into his blue eyes and laughed lightly before turning serious. She stared at the ground and whispered something.

"I'm sorry, Hinata, what was that?"

She took a deep, shuddering breath and looked him in the eyes. "They say I killed my brother, Neji."

Naruto was taken aback. "The guy that gave you the book?"

Hinata had tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. She nodded briefly. "Promise me you won't breathe a word to anyone about what I'm going to tell you."

Naruto was so glad she had this much trust in him. Without any hesitance he agreed to her terms. He knew he was in deep. Not just with her story but with Hinata herself. He was in deep for sure.

"I didn't kill him," she admitted.

"I didn't think so."

She looked at him in shock. "Why else would I be committed here?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, Hinata. But I just feel like you wouldn't do such a thing."

Hinata was overwhelmed with his belief in her. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you." She leaned forward and placed her forehead on his chest. His arms automatically moved to wrap around her and-

"Naruto!" Sakura came storming into the room. "Just  _what_  do you think you're doing?"

The pair moved away from each other as if stung and stared at the pink haired doctor with slight fear in their eyes. But Sakura was looking at them with this sad type of tenderness.

Her voice softened. "It can't work as patient and worker," she said, keeping her voice down. "Naruto, please leave the room."

"Sakura-"

"Now."

Naruto gulped and glanced briefly at Hinata who gave him a hesitant smile. He rolled his cart out and tried to catch Sakura's eye but she was staring at her patient.

"Hinata, I've got good news for you," Sakura said as Naruto reached the door. "In fact it can be good news for Naruto  _and_  you." Sakura said, slyly. Naruto paused. "You're going to be released soon!"

Naruto turned with a giant grin on his face, which vanished instantly at the look of complete fear on Hinata's face.

The door shut and he could hear no more.

He could only remember that look. That look of absolute horror.

.

* * *

.

"Sakura, you saw her face," Naruto spoke in whispers to her friend that night. All the patients were locked in their bedrooms for the night and they were just starting to pack up to go home.

Sakura wavered as she shouldered her bag. "She wasn't too happy with the news," she admitted. "I thought she would be at least for the simple fact that you two would be able to date." Naruto blushed slightly but Sakura just rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, it's obvious the connection you two have."

Naruto chose to ignore that comment. "Sakura, she was scared to death."

Sakura bit her lip and looked at her phone. "I'd talk to Tsunade about it, Naruto. And maybe Hinata herself as well." Sakura hesitated. "Do not tell this to anyone, Uzumaki. Tsunade and I had decided to give Hinata placebos a long time ago."

Naruto looked puzzled. "Like sugar pills?"

"Sure," Sakura said with a little snort. She lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "Basically, Hinata doesn't belong in here. And she's finally getting out." Naruto looked like he was going to say something but Sakura started to get up. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I'll talk to you about this later, okay? Sasuke's waiting outside."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, okay."

As Sakura leaved she clasped his shoulder. "Hey, I'm sure it'll work out."

He smiled at her and just waved. As the door shut behind Sakura Naruto let out a little sigh. It was his day to do the last round of checking on the patients before the night duty guards would come for their shifts. He made his way to the hallway that contained all the doors leading to the patients rooms. One by one he peaked through the small windows cut out in the door before halting in front of Patient 1227's room. His eyebrows came together in worry before he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hinata, what are you still doing up?" Naruto asked, watching her strangely. She was standing in front of the lone window in her room, looking outside it forlornly. "Hinata?"

"I have to get out of here," she said.

"What?" he asked perplexed, as he took a few steps closer. "You  _are_  getting out, Hinata. You'll be able to go home-"

" _No_." She said quickly before turning to face him. "No, that's not what I meant. I have to get away from them."

"From  _who_?" Now Naruto was getting scared.

"From my family."

Silence.

"I'm confused," Naruto said slowly. "Why would you-"

"Naruto, they will kill me," Hinata said. She said it in a whisper but the words were ringing in his ears. She looked down at the ground, her hands clasped together. "Just like they did with Neji."

Narutos heart was thumping fast in his chest. He was baffled, worried for Hinata, and didn't know what to do.

"I don't understand, why didn't you go to the police?" he finally asked.

Hinata looked at him with sad eyes. "You don't get it! It doesn't work like that. My family is more than rich. They have power everywhere. This…this was the only place I could go. They blamed the murder on me and I used it to my advantage. I was declared insane and sent here. Accused of a murder I didn't commit. To spend my life here away from the family trying to kill me."

"But  _why_  are they doing this," Naruto asked, desperate to understand. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulders as she looked up at him intensely.

"There is this group of people we call the elders that wish to maintain power within the family and Neji and I were just obstacles in their way. The heritage would fall on us and they wanted us out of their hair. My sister is safe for now. She's not eighteen yet and is off at some boarding school." Hinata shut her eyes, tears running freely down her cheeks. "Neji  _died_  for me."

"No, no, no," Naruto said frantically, pulling her to his chest. "You can't blame his death on yourself."

She held on to him tightly, burying her face into his chest. "They hired someone to kill me. They held a gun to my face but Neji…" She stopped talking and pressed herself to him again, her shoulders shaking as she cried quietly.

He rubbed his hands against her back soothingly as she stated to calm down. "Is there no one else you can stay with?"

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt. "I  _have_  to go back. It's the only way I can prove the horrible things they've done." She looked up at him, eyes red from crying, her tears dried on her face. "I've hidden away a bunch of things I could get together throughout the years. Videos, letters, printed emails, pictures, bank reports… Once I get a hand on those I have to get myself out and to the media."

"I'll help," Naruto said immediately.

"No!" she said, pushing him away. "N-no. I didn't tell you all this so I could get sympathy-"

"Hinata, I  _want_ to help you," he said, stepping closer. "I'll be damned if something happens to you."

She stared at him sadly. "I won't have you killed." She hesitated. "I care for you too much."

Naruto smiled knowingly. All this time they spent together, their hands brushing against one another, their shoulders pressed against each other, the whispers and the laughter while no one was watching. The way his heart started beating faster when he saw her and the way she seemed to light up his day.

"I care for you too, Hinata," he said, sliding his hand against her cheek. She brought her hand to cover his and closed her eyes serenely, if only for a while. "And  _I_  won't have you killed."

Her eyes snapped open. "But-"

"No buts, Hinata," Naruto said. "Tell me how I can help you."

Hinata bit her lip as she thought of all that could happen.

.

* * *

.

"Good bye, Hinata!" Sakura said waving, as her former patient was lead away by similar pale-eyed people. She smiled softly back at the small group of people gathered to bid her farewell. The car door slammed shut behind her and Naruto strained to see her face through the darkly tinted glass. He raised his hand to say good-bye as they Hyugas drove off the premises.

"She's in trouble, Sakura," Naruto said out of the corner of his mouth as they left their view.

Sakura faced him abruptly, placing her hands on her hips. "What's going on?"

Naruto cringed. "I honestly can't tell you." He couldn't get her involved. Hinata had warned him that telling others could potentially put them at risk. He didn't even know why he blurted out what he did.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Come to my house if you're in trouble." She turned around and marched back into the building, Sasuke falling in behind her. He gave Naruto a suspicious look but clenched his shoulder reassuringly. Naruto was sure Sakura had told him all she knew.

The rest of the workday seemed to go on forever. He kept the girls in line, handed out their medicine, and did the rest of his regular routine. As soon as it was his time to leave he was out the door, in his car, and zooming home.

The entire time he spent slaving away at the asylum Hinata could have been in trouble. They had a plan though and he had to stick to it.

.

* * *

.

It was late but that was the only time she was able to contact him.

He drove his car to the more prosperous side of town, slowing down when he came across the huge, mansion-like, Hyuga compound. A figure was running through the darkness and he unlocked his doors when her familiar face came into view.

Hinata was breathing heavily, a small backpack swung across her shoulders.

"I have everything we can use against them," she said, gently patting her bag. "But we have to go somewhere right now," she said, looking frantically out at the grounds of her old home. "I didn't want to stay longer than I had to. Who knows when they decide it was time for me to go…permanently. I'm sure they will realize I'm missing soon, if they haven't already."

Naruto didn't wait. He pressed his foot on the gas; unsure where they were to be heading but knowing full well this was not the place to be.

"What happens if they notice you're gone?" he asked.

"The Hyuga have guards they say they've hired to protect their valuables and stuff but really they are just trained killers," Hinata said, biting her lip.

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "So we try to avoid getting killed until we can deliver the files and all that?"

"Yes?" she said, smiling at him nervously.

He chuckled. "How did I get myself into this…"

She looked worried. "I really didn't want to involve you in this!" she insisted. "I don't want you to get hurt-"

"Relax, Hinata," Naruto said, smiling at her tenderly. "I  _want_  to help you. I care for you. A lot."

She stared at him. How could she have deserved his affection? What could she have done in previous lifetimes to have such a man on her side?

"I love you," she stated.

Naruto almost drove into a wall, her words surprised him so. He stopped at a red light, turning to face her slowly.

"What?"

Hinata's face turned red when she realized what she said. She looked away and stared straight ahead. "It's green," she said, indicating to the streetlight.

Naruto ignored that. There were no cars around.

"Hinata, what did you say?"

The woman in question looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry…I-"

"No, Hinata, why would you be sorry?" he asked, covering her small hands with his. She forced herself to look at him and was relived to see he was smiling, his cheeks slightly pink. "I'll do  _anything_  to help you. I think I…I've really grown to lo-"

Their car moved with a jolt, and the sound of metal crashing against metal echoed in their skulls. Naruto looked at the rearview mirror as he tried to regain control of his car and cursed. There was a black van pushing against them.

"Friends of yours?" he asked Hinata with a grimace. She had hit her head on the dashboard and there was a thin trail of blood running down her face. She saw he was going to address her injury but she shook her head furiously, pointing for him to go.

"Drive, Naruto!"

 _Those bastards_ , Naruto thought viciously. "Where are we going?" Naruto asked as he took a sharp turn to try and get those men off their trails.

"We can't go to the police," Hinata said nervously turning in her seat to see where the enemies were. "The Hyuga have people everywhere. Walking into a police station would be the same as walking into our own caskets."

"Then where?"

"Look out!" she shouted as a man standing under a streetlamp came into view. He was holding a gun at them. He fired, bullets peppering Naruto's car. Naruto swerved into an alleyway only to realize they were trapped. Dead-end ahead of them, the van closing in behind them, and only narrow passages between the buildings at the sides.

"Get out of the car," Naruto said gravely. "Quickly!"

She obeyed and they both scrambled and fled into a few of the alleys, twisting and turning to try and lose their pursuers.

"There, Naruto!" Hinata said pointing at the ladder of a fire escape. There was nowhere else to go but up.

Naruto understood immediately, took hold of the woman and hoisted her up so she could grab hold of the metal. She climbed up as quickly as she could before lowering the ladder the rest of the way down so Naruto could follow. As soon as the both of them were at the top they pulled the ladder back in so their hunters couldn't follow.

Hinata saw a couple men turn into the alley, arms raised, ready to fire. "Climb! Climb!"

She pushed Naruto forward and they scrambled up the stairs until they reached the rooftop. Fortunately, and unfortunately, they were in a part of town where most of the homes were densely packed together. It was a bad part of town, where the sounds of gunshots and screams were nightly occurrences and came as no surprise.

"We jump." Naruto stated as they came to the edge of the building. The next rooftop wasn't far, they simply had to stretch their legs over to reach them. They ran and ran, jumping and climbing and it seemed as though they had lost the people hunting Hinata. For now.

"We need to go to the news station," Hinata said, breathing heavily as they stopped to rest. "Some newspaper company. Anything. As soon as they get the news out about all the things the Hyuga have done all this will be over. We'll be safe."

"So we have to hide until morning," Naruto said understandingly.

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized. She sincerely did not want to endanger his life. "Naruto, I think you should go. I'll find a place to stay for the night and deliver the files tomorrow morning. Thank you for getting me out of the house."

Naruto frowned at her. "Hinata, maybe you  _do_  belong at the asylum." She looked at him, shocked and slightly hurt. He laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. "Because you're absolutely  _crazy_  if you think I'm ever going to leave you." Hinata made a sound that was a cross between a sob and laughter. She clung to his shirt, burying her face in his chest. He pushed her back slightly to turn her face to his. "This might not be the best time to do something like this, but who knows if it's our only chance," Naruto said vaguely.

"What?"

"Hinata, can I kiss you?" he asked, smiling cheekily.

Hinata couldn't help it. She laughed. "Yes," she said between giggles. "Yes!"

The kiss came with a seal of promises and a future.

.

* * *

.

No one knows what went wrong. But whatever did had left her mind in shattered pieces, impossible to put back together.

"Hello, Mr. Hyuga," a pink haired doctor greeted the man with long brown hair. "I trust you are doing well?"

"Fine," he said.

The woman hesitated. "Her touch with reality seems to be…diminishing. Near the beginning of the incident she used to interact slightly with those around her. There were breaks in her…we can call them fantasies. Moments where she's aware of where she actually is. Now she just…sits there. Occasionally she mumbles a few words out loud. Words addressed to no one in particular. She doesn't take notice to anyone. I'm sorry, Mr. Hyuga, but your daughter will, more likely than not, not even notice you."

The father nodded grimly, his hear clenching painfully. "Do you know what her hallucinations are about?"

The nurse shook her head as they walked down winding halls. "It's almost impossible to tell. Some days she'll be excited, even laughing. Other times she will be crying, screaming. She won't move from her bed. She'll stare at the wall. But…there is one consistency. She always speaks of a boy. Perhaps someone she knew years before?"

Hiashi nodded. "Perhaps."

The doctor stopped in front of a clean, white door. "You may head inside whenever you are ready, sir."

Hiashi thanked her and opened the door slowly. It was a nice room. Quaint. Simply furnished. Hinata sat on a chair, smiling pleasantly at nothing. Her father walked to his daughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with sadness.

She didn't react at all.

Then she blinked rapidly. Her eyes widening as she turned her head to face the man beside her. Her breathing quickened as she stared at him in fright. She screamed and jumped back, pushing him away.

"You!" she yelled. "Why can't you all just leave me alone? You tried to kill me! You tried to kill Naruto!"

"Hinata-" Hiashi tried, his voice breaking.

"Stop! Leave me  _alone!_ "

Immediately a couple of nurses rushed in, ushering Hiashi away, and hushing Hinata as she frantically accused her father of outrageous crimes. They led him out of the room and to a glass window that they used to observe Hinata in her room.

"What are you doing to her?" Hiashi asked as he watched a nurse press a needle into his daughters arm.

"Mild sedative," the pink haired woman said. "Just to calm her down. Nothing to worry about." The woman looked at the man, taking in his expression full of grief and sadness. "I assure you, Mr. Hiashi. It's not our intention to hurt you. Your daughter goes back and forth between reality and hallucinations. It has her confused and I believe it's simply becoming impossible for her to distinguish fact from fiction."

Hiashi nodded grimly. "I understand…but why does she fear  _me_? And who is this Naruto?"

"It's all from her fantasy, Mr. Hiashi." The doctor cleared her throat. "It appears she believes you have done something despicable to her. And I fear she is becoming more engrossed in the fantasy world she has created in her mind." The two watched as the nurses filed out of the room, Hinata settled into her bed, her eyes fluttering shut, a small smile adorning her face once more. "As for Naruto…I cannot truly say. He might be a figment of her imagination. Someone she conjured up. To keep her…dare I say it… _sane_  in the world she made." The doctor sighed, her pink hair fluttering slightly. "I'm sorry. But I honestly can't say anything for a fact. There is no way to read her mind."

"I understand."

The woman looked at the father sorrowfully. "I can say that she will soon be completely absorbed in her fantasy. I'm sorry, Mr. Hiashi. The daughter you knew…"

"Is no more," Hiashi finished. He swallowed before ripping his gaze away from his daughter. He bowed deeply to the pink haired doctor before him. "Thank you, Doctor Haruno. I trust you will do all you can to keep my daughter comfortable."

Sakura nodded, watching the man retreat sadly. She turned to look through the window once more when another woman approached and stood by her side.

"Do you think we'll be able to snap her out of the fantasy she's living in?" Sakura asked the blonde woman beside her.

Tsunade sighed. "This may be farfetched but…who are we to decide whether the world she envisions…the world she sees herself in is  _fantasy_ ," Tsunade laughed grimly. "Maybe she'd developed some divine power to see into other universes. Maybe  _her_  reality is the real one. Maybe they are  _all_  real. It's really impossible to know." She placed a hand on her protégés shoulder. "Who are we to deny her of her happiness?"

Sakura wanted to cry. She had grown attached to this patient…to this case. "Should we tell this to her father?"

"Do you think that's wise?" Tsunade asked. "Would  _he_  understand when even  _we_  don't completely? What he sees is his daughter drifting further and further away from him, soon to be out of his grasp forever. The only way for him to get her back is to rip Hinata out of her own paradise. I don't know if that's right or wrong"

Sakura placed her forehead against the cool windowpane. "It's not really for us to decide, is it, Tsunade?" She looked at the beautiful, but poignant woman in the bed below them, smiling in all her innocence. "What I do know is that Hinata won't leave her reality…ever."

.

* * *

.

Hinata looked up into blue eyes. "I'll never leave you, Naruto, I promise. Not for anything."

Naruto smiled warmly at her, his hand holding onto hers protectively, never wanting to let her go. "I know."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is all for this one.
> 
> Writing the ending was wild. I hope you all are bewildered and confused (heh heh) but I hope you enjoyed the read anyway! One thing I do want to say is that apparently this was Hinata's "fantasy" but I purposefully wrote the entire thing in Naruto's point of view. What does that mean? I'll leave that to you. Make your own "reality".
> 
> Leave a review telling me what you think or if you have any questions.
> 
> Thanks all, take care.
> 
> Magma


	6. One-Shot 4: Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very old one-shot I had wrote. It's very short but I've decided to include it anyway.
> 
> I had previously written a one-shot that followed this same idea (in the Teen Titans fandom, which I do not own) and decided to utilize it again but this time with Naruto and Hinata. The basic point of it is the same but the situations are different.
> 
> There will be some Shikamaru and Temari in this one.
> 
> Enjoy.

 

_It was a normal day._

Or so she thought.

Hinata was heading to Ichiraku Ramen for a date with her long time boyfriend Naruto. As she approached she saw the blonde loudly conversing with Shikamaru and Temari. He was telling some wild story about a recent mission.

"And then I pushed him against the tree-" Naruto said, suddenly sensing a person approaching. He turned and smiled. "Hinata!" she smiled at the three there and was pulled into a hug by her boyfriend. "I already ordered your favorite ramen and was just telling Shikamaru and Temari about a mission."

"Thank you Naruto-kun," she said. "How are you two?" she politely asked the ninjas seated besides them.

"Oh we're good, but why don't you tell us how Naruto's treating  _you_  Hinata?" Temari said slyly.

"Oh boy," Shikamaru mumbled.

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked defensively, looking up from his bowl, some ramen still hanging from his mouth.

Hinata giggled and gently wiped away the noodles with a napkin. "Oh no, he's been really good to me," she said sincerely. He grinned at her.

" _Really_ good, eh?" Temari asked with a smirk.

Pink graced Hinatas cheek.  _No. I don't blush this easily anymore_. She thought to herself. Naruto sputtered and felt heat rise to his face.

"Temari…" Shikamaru said with as sigh and warning tone.

The sand ninja ignored her boyfriend, her eyes locked on Hinatas. "How good?"

"Temari!" Hinata squeaked, looking flustered.

"That's none of your business" Naruto snapped. "Better than  _your_  boyfriend I bet."

"Hey," the black haired man said slowly. "I'm not involved in this."

Temari laughed. "Could be true. We all know about your amazing stamina," she said with a glint in her eye. "Tell me Hinata, is it true?" Hinata said nothing and picked at her food, a practically indiscernible smile on her face. "I'll take that look as a yes." Temari said. "Ah well, I'm not going to get any more fun out of this conversation," the sand ninja said, dropping it.

_No, it was not a normal day._

"Good…" Naruto huffed.

"So troublesome…" Shikamaru murmured.

"Nara," Temari said, turning on her boyfriend. "I have a question for you."

"Hm," he said, blinking slowly.

"If there was anything you could change about me what would it be?"

Naruto and Hinata stopped mid bite and stared at the other couple with wide eyes. Shikamaru looked oddly attentive and nervous now.

"Oh, well," Shikamaru started with a cough, "Well, I wouldn't change anything about you because you're great the way you are." He smiled, seeming satisfied with his answer.

There was a strained silence and Naruto burst into laughter. "Damn Shikamaru, you got it bad!"

"Oh please," Temari waved the blonde away. "Obviously Shika's lying but…it's sweet, I guess." She looked sharply at the other woman in the room. "Hinata. Why don't you ask Naruto the question?"

"Oh…well," Hinata looked at the three warily. Naruto had stopped laughing. "I don't think…it doesn't really matter. I know I'm not perfect. I can be too quiet sometimes and not assertive enough. I'm not the most beautiful person out there and I can be-"

"Hinata," Naruto said sharply cutting her off. "Ask me."

"But-I," she looked shocked.

"Ask me," he said insistently.

Temari and Shikamaru looked genuinely curious. What answer could beat Shikamaru's?

_Normal is overrated anyway._

"Um, well, Naruto-kun, if there was anything you could change about me what would it be?" she asked hesitantly. She looked nervous.  _No, Hinata._  She chastised herself.  _You're stronger now. Just take what he has to say and learn from it. No blushing. No fainting. Not anymore._

Suddenly Naruto looked nervous. The courage he had previously vanished. His face turned uncharacteristically red. "Actually now I kinda want to take it back. This isn't the right time."

"Oh no, Uzumaki!" Temari exclaimed. "No backing out now!"

Naruto cringed and pulled at his jacket collar. "Hinata maybe we should go somewhere private?" Suddenly Naruto stiffened. Shikamaru had him trapped through their shadows. The pineapple haired ninja gave him a small smile. Shikamaru wanted to hear too. As soon as the shadow user released him Naruto sighed. "Alright Hinata, I'll tell you."

Temari and Shikamaru leaned in in anticipation. Hinata looked down.

"Ask me again though will you?" he said, lifting her head up with a finger on her chin.

She looked him in the eye and took a deep breath. "If there was one thing you would change about me what would it be?"

A soft blush covered the jinchūrikis cheek but now he seemed confident. "That's easy Hinata. I don't know why you said all those negative things about yourself because  _I_ definitely don't think they're true."

_It was supposed to be a normal day._

"But there is  _one_  thing I'd change about you. One thing that doesn't fit," he continued. Hinata wanted to look away but his eyes locked her into place. She realized she was holding her breath and let it out slowly. "The one thing I would change about you Hinata Hyuga…is your last name."

Hinata blinked. All thoughts of Shikamaru and Temari watching them left her mind.  _Her…her last name?_  She felt blood rush to her face. She felt the world blurring slightly.  _Oh no, not now._   _No more blushing…_ What he said flooded through her mind.  _No more…fainting._  Just before darkness enveloped her one thought,  _one question_ , kept repeating in her mind.

 _Did Naruto Uzumaki just_ propose _to me?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, this is an old one but I thought I'd share it anyway. My writing style has changed now but I'm hoping someone will enjoy this little one-shot anyway!
> 
> -Magma


	7. One-Shot 5: Endings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really old one-shot (and really short compared to my new ones) I had written and I wasn't sure if I should just delete it but I think I'll leave it here for now.

_It wasn't supposed to end up like this._

Really it wasn't.

It was a simple mission. Deliver a message to the leader of a city and return home. It wasn't necessary to send more than one person but Naruto insisted on going with his wife. After the time she was sent on a mission and had to be  _carried_  back to Konoha by her teammates, he felt extra nervous when she had to leave again.

Tsunade was at first firm that Naruto had to continue with his Hokage training but she eventually relented. Naruto had informed her that Hinata had been feeling sick lately and that that worried him. When Tsunade spoke to Hinata about this the young kunoichi insisted she could handle such a simple mission and so the next day the couple left Konoha.

_It was quick and uncalled for._

They were traveling through the trees, chatting idly, in neutral territory when a comfortable silence fell on them.

Hinata was the one to break it. "Naruto…?"  
"Yeah?"

"I have to tell you something important," she said hesitantly.

Naruto snapped his head towards Hinata. "What? Are you sick? Is this because you were feeling so bad lately?" She giggled and Naruto felt his muscles relax a bit. "What…?" he asked a bit warily.

"It  _does_  have something to do with how I've been feeling lately," she said with a small, knowing smile.

She was about to say more when several kunai and shurikens jammed into the tree trunks near them. The lovers dodged easily and immediately landed firmly on the ground, weapons drawn.

"We're in  _neutral_  territory," Naruto called out, hoping that a fight wasn't necessary. He wasn't sure if Hinata was still feeling ill. More kunai flew at them in response. They hopped out of the way when a couple of figures previously camouflaged against the trees appeared before them.

"Give us your valuables," one of the masked men said. "Give us everything you have and no one will be harmed."

"Bandits," Hinata murmured.

"Are you guys  _idiots?"_ Naruto exclaimed. "You're going to try robbing  _shinobis?"_

Hinata had activated her Byakugan but realized her chakra was slightly more concentrated in her lower abdomen.  _"Not now,"_  she whispered under her breath. "Naruto!" she called. He acknowledged her with a nod and a fleeting glance, his eyes concentrated on the enemies surrounding them. "My Byakugan-" she whispered quietly to him. His eyes flashed, instantly understanding. The orange ninja didn't know  _what_ was wrong but he knew  _something_ was. He moved closer to shield her from the threat.

"We don't have anything valuable and we don't want trouble," Naruto said, his voice steady.

_This is where it all went wrong._

The masked figures moved quickly, throwing sharpened objects at them and began closing in. Naruto summoned shadow clones that efficiently intercepted the enemy and turned to face his wife.

"What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"I-I-" Hinata's eyes darted from place to place, watching the different fights the clones were engaged in. Her eyes locked with the real Naruto and she quickly tossed her kunai at him. He ducked instinctively and the kunai lodged itself in the would-be-attacker behind him.

"Hinata!" he exclaimed. " _What's wrong?"_

Shadow clones dispersed around them and they were quickly engaged in hand to hand combat with the enemy. Naruto cursed. Hinata was holding out well without her Byakugan but she seemed distracted. As soon as he was able to, Naruto summoned more clones, grabbed Hinata by the waist and pulled her away from the battle.

She had her arms wrapped around her abdomen and he noticed small bruises forming on her arm. Was she not fighting back? Why was she only on the defensive? He was about to say something when she quietly said, "I shouldn't be on this mission."

Hinata saw Narutos face look at her in confusion and worry. His eyes hardened and darted to somewhere above her and she knew a threat was approaching. "Get behind me," he ordered. A masked figure was jumping from tree to tree, taking out Narutos shadow clones that got in his way. Naruto glanced at his wife who quickly slid behind him, her arms hanging low near her stomach.  _Why wasn't she in a battle stance?_

" _Naruto,"_ she whispered sharply.

He knew she was going to tell him what she's been trying to this whole time. He could feel it. His ears twitched in response to her voice but his eyes remained on the enemy. Naruto narrowed his eye. The masked man  _smiled._   _Why?_ Naruto wondered.

"Naruto, I-" Hinata never got to finish what she was saying. There was a rumbling sound and something shot out of the ground and grabbed Hinata by the leg. She screamed and attempted to relinquish the grip on her when she was forced to the ground.

Naruto turned a second too late. He saw his wife falling but she wasn't shielding her face. Her arms were wrapped tight around her stomach.

_That's when he realized what she wanted to tell him._

" _I shouldn't be on this mission."_

He remembered. He remembered all the nights they spent together and remembered her illness. He remembered how she would run to the bathroom to throw up and how oddly she was fighting. He remembered how her arms automatically went to protect her stomach. He realized she was protecting something. She was protecting a soon to be  _someone_.

"HINATA!" he screamed, forgetting the bandit that was approaching from behind. He was knocked to the ground and saw a masked man holding his wife. She struggled futilely. Her chakra had moved to protect the growing baby inside of her.

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

_It was supposed to be a simple mission._

The bandit that knocked him down quickly approached Hinata and sprayed some purple mist on her face. He scrambled up as she coughed and sputtered and formed dozens of clones. He slammed the man against the tree, eyes flashing red. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

Quickly memories of dispersed clones filled his head. Taking down the bandit. Hinata coughing. Hinata going red. Hinata collapsing. He pushed the man away, allowing his clones to deal with them and ran to his wife.

"Hinata!" he called, cradling her against his chest. She wasn't moving.  _She wasn't moving._ " _Hinata!"_  Her arms were still wrapped around her stomach. "HINATA!"

_It wasn't supposed to end up like this._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said this is an old one. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	8. One-Shot 6: Fantasy AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War brought them together. Will it keep them apart?

"Himawari, honey, what are you doing?" Hinata asked as her daughter played with her midnight blue hair. She was running her little fingers through Hinata's short tresses and her fingers came to a stop on Hinata's pointed ears.

"Mommy, why don't I have ears like yours?" her daughter asked innocently, gliding her fingers across her rounded tips. "Yours are sharp."

Hinata settled her daughter onto her lap, running a brush through Himawari's hair, similar to hers only choppier. "You have your daddy's ears," Hinata said softly, her expression saddening.

"Where is he?"

Hinata stopped her ministrations, sighing softly. "I told you honey, he's fighting in the war." Hinata didn't want to voice the fact that the war was supposed to have ended days ago.

"Why aren't you fighting?" came a new voice. Boruto, the striking image of his father, walked into the room, sitting down beside the two ladies.

"Because," Hinata said, poking her boy teasingly in the stomach. "If I left, who would take care of my lovely kids?"

Boruto giggled, pushing his mothers fingers away. "Stop it, mom!"

Hinata relented, gathering her kids into her arms. "I love you two."

"I love you too, momma!" Himawari said, wrapping her pudgy arms around Hinata's neck.

"Okay, come on. It's getting late," Hinata said, pushing the two kids to their bedrooms. "Time to sleep."

"But mom, I shouldn't have to have the same bedtime as Hima," Boruto complained, kicking at the worn rug.

Hinata laughed. "Come talk to me about that when you can carry my bow in one arm."

"I don't want to learn how to use a bow," Boruto stated. "I wanna use a sword."

Hinata almost stopped walking. The similarities between her son and his father were striking. They ran deeper than just outer appearances.

"I'm sure we can find you a teacher one day, Boru," Hinata said, her voice getting soft once again at the thought. She wished desperately his father could be there to teach their son the art of sword fighting. He was a brilliant warrior from what she could remember. The thought of his radiant face, striking blue eyes, and sunshine hair still brought a blush to her face.

With her kids settled down Hinata moved on to the kitchen, her long, elven made dress flowing against the smooth wooden floors. They lived in a small house, nestled near the great forest, one of many in this quaint little town filled with a mismatch of creatures. Humans, elves, dwarves, and others lived as peacefully as they could together in this time of combat. The village was filled with those injured in wars, people who lost their homes, and those who simply ran away from whatever problems nipped at their ankles.

She rolled up her flowing sleeves to scrub the dishes, her thoughts wandering to the war that raged on in their large country. It had been going on for years. She had participated in it too before…before she learned she was pregnant with Boruto.

Hinata grasped the counter. She remembered his concern. He urged her to leave the battlefield. To return to her home amongst the elves but she refused adamantly. She asked him to take into account her point of view. How would  _he_  feel if  _she_  was out fighting in a war and he had no idea the state she was in? He had looked like he was going to cry.

Hinata ventured into the main room and sat down on a cozy chair, staring up at the bow hung above the fireplace. She shut her eyes, tears threatening to fall over when she remembered what made her change her mind about leaving the warzone.

The death of her cousin, Neji Hyuga.

.

* * *

.

She held her bundle of light tightly in her arms as she watched her sunshine walk away, clad in armor, his sword strapped to his side. God, she knew he was more than capable of leading his army but worrying for his wellbeing was something she couldn't help. She wasn't sure how long he'd be gone for. He had made sure he would be stationed near her the nine months she carried his child. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of and protected but even though it hurt him to have to leave her and their son so soon… duty called.

Hinata was supposed to be staying with a small elven settlement while Naruto was off at war. Boruto had turned one only a few weeks before a mass of orcs and ogres invaded the town.

It was sudden and unexpected. The battles were supposed to be happening a bit further away. Days, if not weeks, worth of a journey away. Apparently these monsters just found fun in obliterating all they could.

She saw the creatures before she heard the screams start. Elves were blessed with amazing eyesight and she happened to be tucking Boruto away in bed when she noticed movements outside the window. Creatures were lurking about in the shadows, surrounding homes, armed with weapons.

Hinata moved immediately, running to grab her bow and quiver.

That's when the screams started.

She stormed up the stairs back into Boruto's room, taking aim outside the window. Every arrow that left the house hit their mark.

Things happened quickly. She saw fires erupting around town, there was banging on her door downstairs, she saw acquaintances running about, only to get run through by the enemies weapons.

It was a small little town, not a war encampment. They weren't prepared.

"Neji!" she screamed out of the window. She saw her cousin running towards her house, more than likely coming over to check on her. He had stopped here for a few days on his way to the battlefield.

She wished he had never came.

Boruto was screaming and crying in his crib and though Hinata's heart reached out for him, she had to help her cousin. She saw an orc running up to him from behind and she grasped for her back to grab an arrow only to realize she had run out.

She watched in horror as the ogre got closer and closer…before it fell to the ground.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Neji took care of it.

He ran to her home, taking out the creatures trying to break her windows.

Hinata whipped around, grabbed her crying son in one arm, and armed herself with a long knife in the other. The creatures were outside of the room now. She winced as cracks formed in the door, grunts and growls echoing through the house.

She tried to calm her baby boy, holding him tightly to her chest. She would be devastated if anything happened to him. She didn't know what to do. Fighting with one arm against a hoard of orcs was unwise. She glanced out the window. She was an elf. This jump was nothing.

"Neji!" she called down as he sliced through a row of enemies with his slim sword. He looked up, seeing his dark haired cousin with one foot on the windowsill. He nodded, understanding what she meant to do.

Hinata sheathed her knife, clutched Boruto close, and leapt out the window, landing on the soft ground almost noiselessly. She ran to her cousin, both breathing heavily. Neji looked bruised and tired and she felt the same way.

"Hinata, are you two hurt?" he asked frantically.

"No, we're fine," she said. "We have to get out of here."

"Follow me."

They had to navigate around bloody bodies, monsters fighting monsters, and frantic people as they ran through the town. Arrows whizzed by their heads, sounds of metal clashing on metal and screams pounded on their eardrums. Hinata pulled out her knife once more, the arm carrying her son growing heavy. She slashed through the creatures, slitting throats, puncturing eyes.

The Hyuga were bruised and aching. They were bleeding from flesh wounds and broken arrow shafts jammed in their clothing, cutting at their skin.

Then someone grabbed for her son.

"NO!" she shouted as she felt Boruto's weight leave her arms.

She jumped, caution leaving her mind. She sunk her knife into the orc as it fell to the ground, Boruto falling with it. She leapt, catching her son before anything else befell him.

"Hinata!" she heard Neji's voice screaming her name in a panic.

She looked up and saw a spear coming towards her. Her breath caught in her throat, she couldn't do anything to escape it. She turned, shielding Boruto with her body. She'd protect him with her life.

She waited for the pain but it didn't come.

 _Thump_.

Her blood ran cold and she turned slowly, her lavender tinted eyes meeting Neji's white ones…glossed over…fading.

The tears she didn't realize she was holding back ran down her face as a heartbreaking wail escaped her throat.

She fell to her knees, wishing him back to life. Begging him to come back.

"Hinata," he coughed.

"Don't," she said with a sob. "Don't-"

"Hinata, you hold…more than one life in your hands," he looked at her with a grim smile. He had always been fond of her energetic little son. "I do not regret what I did. You have to get out of here. You have to live."

"Brother…"

"Go."

.

* * *

.

 _He_  had arrived a few weeks later. Hinata had refused to go back to her elven home after the incident. There were too many memories she wasn't yet ready to relive. Too many people that reminded her of her deceased cousin.

The residents that were left in the town had cleaned up the best they could. She repaired the damages to her little home, patching up the broken window with pieces of wood, the main door hanging on by what seemed like splinters. It wasn't perfect and it certainly wasn't permanent but she refused to leave until she saw Naruto again. Finding her in this vast country would be a difficult feat, no matter how motivated he may be.

She was playing with Boruto in the living room when she heard rapid footsteps coming closer and closer. Her hair stood on end when, with a loud bang, the front door flew open, creaking on its hinges. She stood abruptly, shielding her son from the view of whoever broke into her home. She was just about to reach for a weapon when a familiar face walked into view.

"Hinata…"

Pale eyes met blue, and she felt her heart flutter.

"Naruto-"

He was at her side in a second, pulling her body into his. "Are you okay? Is Boruto-"

"We're fine," she said, embracing him tightly. "We're okay."

"But the town-"

"We're  _okay_ ," she insisted, pushing him away to meet their gazes. "Both of us." She moved out of the way so Naruto could take a look at the son he had not seen in over a year.

He removed his first layer of heavy armor and weapons and laid them on a table before crawling over to the boy staring up at him in wonder.

"Boruto…" Naruto said softly, his voice choking up. "Look how big you've gotten."

Hinata crouched down next to them, watching her two blondes stare at each other in awe. Naruto looked at Hinata, his eyes twinkling. He wanted more than anything to pull her into his arms again, to kiss her deeply, to show her how much he missed her. There was a slightly pressure on his knee and he glanced down and noticed the child had made his way closer to him. He raised his arms and Naruto pulled him up, kissing him on the nose.

"Hey kid," he mumbled. "Remember your dad?"

"Da…" Boruto garbled out, poking at the whiskers marking Naruto's cheeks.

"Yeah, that's right!" Naruto said excitedly. "I'm your dad! And you're my son!" He dotted Boruto with kisses all over until the kid was laughing and giggling. Soon the entire family was on their stomachs as laughter filled the broken down home, the war temporarily forgotten.

.

* * *

.

Later that night Hinata settled Boruto into bed before walking down the short hallway to her bedroom. She heard the sound of clinking armor and rattling chains as she opened the door slowly. Naruto was struggling with his chain mail, muttering curses under his breath.

"Need some help?" Hinata asked with a smile, closing the door behind her.

He stopped his struggling and turned to face her, grinning sheepishly. "Yes, please."

Hinata approached him slowly, running her fingers across the metal. "Are  _you_  okay?" she asked, avoiding eye contact as she undid a few straps on his outfit.

"I'm okay," he said, staring down at the petite woman before him. Her scent filled his nose and he shut his eyes, feeling more content than he had in months. She was safe. He was with her.

"I know how war works, Naruto," Hinata said, removing a layer of chain mail. It clattered to the floor. "I was fighting before too, remember?"

"Unfortunately," he said, turning his head down, a grimace on his face. He had sidled up his hand along her stomach, resting it right beneath her breast. "I remember all too well."

.

* * *

.

The incident occurred near the start of the Great War.

Before Naruto was in charge of leading an entire army, he traveled with a small group of his friends. He was no stranger to elves but he always assumed they were high strung, stick up their asses, sort of people. That's what he learned from one of his traveling companions, Sasuke. He was also friends with a hot-tempered dwarf who loved to talk with her fists, but was surprisingly adept when it came to the arts of healing.

News of the impending war spread fast and far across the lands and they met up with a lot of other travelers on the way.

That was how he met Hinata.

He had found himself in some trouble. He was supposed to have been hunting for some dinner but got caught in an ambush, one foot stuck in an animal trap. It was pretty ridiculous. That injury wasn't too bad; he simply had to slip off his boot. He took out his opponents easily but there was still a large gash in his arm that he had to take care of. It was getting dark and he wasn't sure it would be wise to try and make it back to their camp before night fell and inhibited his sight, and with an unpatched wound.

Hinata came across him while he had stopped to rest with his back against a tree, his hand pressed into his bleeding injury. She had an arrow ready to shoot in case he tried anything and he groaned. Just his luck. It was a stupid elf.

But her words were sweet. Her tone innocent. She warned him not to try anything and those words pissed him off. Try anything? He would never touch her inappropriately. For some reason the thought that anyone had tried to do something wrong to her to make her utter those words made him bristle with anger.

Then her soft hands were over his as she gently moved to bandage the cut.

"It's not too deep," she said, her voice calming him. "But…but I'll need you to remove your shirt if I'm to patch this up properly."

Her pale skin was red as a blush heated up her face. At first he wondered if something was wrong with her but as soon as the meaning of the words hit him he felt an identical blush cover his own face.

"Ah…well…I would," he said, chuckling nervously. "But it's kind of hard to move my arm."

"Oh."

They had figured out a solution eventually. She cut away the fabric around his arm and did her best bandaging him up. She applied a soothing cream that she said she made herself. She told him she was traveling with some other elves. They were on their way to where rumor said the battle would begin.

His mouth worked faster than his mind. He immediately said she should join him. Er- him as in, himself and his friends on their journey.

Her blush returned.

It wasn't a bad idea but her family would be worried about her.

That's when he insisted they all join them then. Might as well travel together. He had an elf on his team too. He wasn't as nice or pretty as her but he was all right.

She had laughed and said she would see what the others said.

And so they started to travel together.

.

* * *

.

She didn't know it but she had started to fall for the goofball of a human that was Naruto Uzumaki. He was so cheerful and enthusiastic, many of the things that the Hyuga elves were not (nor the Uchiha elves, but they were a different story). He was quirky and funny, and did his best to make her feel comfortable. They all trained together and became close friends by the time the battles actually started, which was several months after their first meeting.

He had grown fond of the quiet spoken elf. She was always so nice to him, making sure he was taking care of himself. He'd be lying if he said he didn't notice the way her long hair flowed in the wind. He'd find himself wanting to run his fingers through it to see if the midnight locks were really as silky as they looked. When they stopped at towns she would switch from her form fitting light armor appropriate for the archer she was, into elegant dresses that he found simply enticing.

Sakura would tease him but he did his best to ignore her. Even if he was starting to feel what he thought he felt he couldn't do that to himself or Hinata. She was an elf. She told him about her life. She was an heiress. A princess. He was just a measly human with a demon trapped in his gut.

Her being an elf wasn't a valid reason. He wasn't even using it as an excuse, but some people did frown upon relationships between elves and humans, or any other type of cross. Not to say it didn't happen, it most certainly did.

He still couldn't bring himself to fully look into the feelings he felt bubbling up inside him for the pointy-eared beauty.

But then came the incident and he could hide his feelings no longer.

.

* * *

.

They were finally fighting in one of the first battles of the war when things took a nasty turn.

He was trying to protect a couple of his friends when something sharp went straight through the palm of his hand. He screamed in pain when he felt a few more arrows sink into his skin. He fell to the ground with a thud, unable to move.

"Fuck," he mumbled into the dirt, spitting some blood out of his mouth. He heard the clashes and clangs as the battle continued to rage all around him but his eyes followed the shadow moving closer and closer to him. He looked up into the eyes of a dark elf, armed with the same dangerous, black arrows that impaled him.

Naruto didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he  _could_ do.

That's where Hinata came in.

She came out of nowhere; he didn't even see her coming. She shot out arrow after arrow at the man trying to kill him and he watched the battle futilely, unable to help. It killed him that he had to watch her take a beating like that.

It killed him when their opponent successfully pierced her chest.

It killed him…it hurt even more given the fact that she confessed her  _love_  for him on the battlefield. Mere minutes before her blood soaked the ground.

He allowed the demon sealed in his gut since birth to take control.

His love for her grew.

.

* * *

.

The war raged on for years afterwards. No one could predict whether the end was near. Thankfully Sakura had made it to Hinata on time, hearing Naruto's cries of anguish, and was able to properly heal the elf.

Naruto hated to see her continue fighting in the rest of the battles. He didn't want to see her dying for him again. But she continued to protect him with her life. Every time she fought by his side he felt stronger…but he also felt fear. That's not to say he wanted her to fight anywhere else. No. He preferred it when she was right by his side. Where he could help her in less than a second if she needed it.

They shared their first kiss after a huge fight against a powerful wizard that used the powers of the moon.

The young wizard had tried to  _seduce_  Hinata.

Can you believe that?

Naruto was livid.

He was having none of that. He took on the enemy by himself, using the powers of the demon fox within him. He thought he had won but the wizard had plenty of tricks up his stupid, oversized sleeves. Thankfully, Hinata, beautiful, wonderful, powerful, Hinata, took his hand in hers and he felt his energy  _surge_.

They took him down together and afterwards he wanted to make sure no one else dared try to take her from him again. He'd fight millions of battles to keep her at his side…to keep her safe. So he closed the distance between them, her eyes fluttering closed and her lips puckering just the slightest in anticipation…and he claimed her as his in front of the  _world_.

It was certainly the first of many.

.

* * *

.

Nothing was official.

The two weren't married. Naruto had given her a simple band that she never removed from her finger. A promise that one-day after this endless war was over…they would finally settle down  _together_.

There was a lull in the number of battles for a while and the two were living an unexpectedly peaceful life within an encampment set up in an open field for a while. They had their own tent, furnished with thick mats, and were surprisingly comfortable.

"Hinata?" Naruto said her name with slight apprehension as he lay down on the mat, his arms behind his head.

"Hm?" she was stripping off the last layer of her armor and quickly changed into a comfortable nightdress. She slipped beneath the covers, and placed her left hand on his chest as she lay on her side, snuggled up against him.

He rolled over so he was facing her, his blue eyes looking into her light ones. He wrapped his arm around her; careful to avoid any of the bruises she was sure to have accumulated during all the battles.

"What do you think about a family?" he asked her hesitantly.

She looked surprised. "What about them?"

He chuckled. "What do you think about  _starting_  one?" He could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest and he was sure she could feel it against her palm.

She blinked a few times as the gravity of his words sunk in. "Are you saying…" she trailed off, a smile forming on her face.

"I want to start a family with you," he said, watching as her eyes filled with emotion.

"Naruto…" she said, laughing as she moved closer. "Yes! Oh goodness…yes I would love to start a family with you."

He let out a choked laugh, his emotions overwhelming him. "I love you so much," he said, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. " _So_  much."

"I love you too," she said, kissing the top of his head.

Suddenly she felt his hands start to wander as he peppered kisses along her collarbones. He rolled her only her back and settled himself above her, his blue eyes dark. He leaned down to give her a searing kiss that she returned happily.

"What do you say about starting right now?" he asked mischievously.

Her face flared up but she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his face closer to hers. "I wouldn't be against it," she said, biting his lower lip teasingly.

Naruto grinned.

.

* * *

.

It was when she was a few months along that they realized the consequences of their love.

"You can't fight anymore," Naruto said one day as they settled down after a small day of fighting. It was merely a scuffle; just a few rogue enemies that stumbled upon their camp. Nothing they couldn't handle but he couldn't help but keep his eyes trained on her. Her stomach now had a slight bump, a sign of their love.

Ever since she had the slightest inkling that they were successful in conceiving a child, she stuck with her bow and arrows religiously. She was not to go fighting with her knife. She was to fight from afar, but if he could have it his way she wouldn't be fighting at all. He wanted to whisk her away- away from all this fighting and away from any evil eyes. But he couldn't and so he settled on keeping everything and everyone that could cause Hinata any harm away from her.

"Naruto, you don't have to dote on me," Hinata said softly, setting her weapons down on the ground. "I'm more than capable-"

"I  _know_  that," he said. "I do but…"

"You're worried?"

"I don't want anything to happen to you," he said, pulling her onto his lap. "Or the baby."

Hinata settled down, thinking. She knew he was right. But she didn't want to leave him fighting on his own either. They had a long conversation that night and they came to the decision that they  _both_  would temporarily leave the battlefield.

So they spent a few months together. No fighting, just news of fighting. It was a beautiful time. He was able to play with his son for a while after he was born before a messenger came by desperately asking Naruto to return to the battlefield. Tsunade, one of the armies' leaders needed his assistance.

He left reluctantly, not wanting to leave his family but he had to.

He cherished those few months of absolute bliss while he was gone, not knowing he was only going to be able to see her one more time before having to spend  _years_  apart from her.

.

* * *

.

That one more time together was now.

Her warm hand covered his and she gently removed it from the scar he was no doubt thinking of.

"Memories?" she asked.

He nodded, his expression saddening. "I've missed you so much, Hinata."

She kissed him deeply. "Me too."

He clung to her, burying his head into her shoulder, inhaling her scent deeply. "You could have  _died_ ," he said with a dark chuckle. "Not even on the battlefield…but at this…what was supposed to be a temporary home."

"I'm sorry," she said, running her fingers through his golden locks.

"No,  _I'm_  sorry," he said. She could sense the hesitance in his voice. "I can't stay long."

She felt her heart drop. "But-"

"There are plans to try and wrap up the war these next few years," he explained. "As quickly as they can."

"After what, ten years or so?" she asked, bitterness in her voice.

Naruto snorted. "Yeah." He grew serious and caressed her face, making her meet his gaze. "Hey, this is the last run. This is it. After that I'll be back for good."

"But how  _long_?" she asked desperately. She knew she shouldn't be complaining but it was hard not to. She got to see the love of her life after about a year only to learn he was going to be gone for a few more.

"Hinata…"

"If you survive," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Naruto frowned. "Hina-"

"I'm sorry!" she said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I-I know you'll be fine. I know you'll make it back to me and Boruto…but-but-"

Naruto stopped her with a kiss. She clung to him urgently and he kissed her back with just as much fervor.

When they pulled apart, breathing heavily, he gave her another peck before speaking. "I'll do  _anything_ … _all_  I can to make it back to my family."

"I know," she whispered, continuing to remove his armor with trembling fingers. He watched her, knowing full well where her thoughts wandered. Even after so much time apart, it was hard to hide things from one another.

"You want to come." It was a statement, not a question. She had removed the last of his armor and started to lift his shirt over his head. He allowed her to, suppressing a groan of pain as his aching muscles stretched.

Hinata brushed her fingers against his bare skin, his bruises and cuts healing slowly, faster than normal humans, but slow nonetheless.

"Come to war?" she asked, shaking her head. "No."

"Come with me," he corrected, feeling at complete ease under her scrutiny.

He tensed when she leaned closer; placing feather light kisses against his skin- anywhere she found a bruise.

"Do you regret…" he cleared his throat. He hadn't felt a woman's touch in so long. "Do you regret our choice in starting a family so early?"

"No." The answer was immediate. She looked up at him, eyes fierce. "Not at all."

Naruto wanted to yell with joy.

It had to be impossible all this love he felt for another living being.

Their lips met again and soon their clothing was removed. This time it was her turn to be gentle. She didn't want to cause him discomfort by disturbing his injuries but Naruto was having none of that. He only had a limited time with her and he sure as hell was going to make the most of it.

Naruto bent down onto his knees as Hinata spread her legs apart instinctively. He held on to her thigh and moved his mouth up to meet her. He felt her trembling above him, her fingers pulling at his hair. She made quiet noises of satisfaction. Her legs moved to close tighter against him but he held them apart, unwilling to relinquish his hold until she was satisfied. He didn't have to work long, she came quickly, her legs almost buckling out from under her but he grabbed her around the waist as she leaned against him.

"Naruto-" she huffed, as he planted kisses against her body. She ran her shaking fingers, still high from her orgasm, down the hard planes of his body before wrapping her dainty fingers around him. He hissed, his hips moving on their own, pushing against her body. Her fingers were gentle, their kisses hot…but they wanted more.

Sometimes their lovemaking would be slow and tender, other times it would be fiery and passionate…this time it was frantic and possessive. He pushed her against the wall, her legs hooking onto his hips, and was inside of her in an instant. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, fully aware that they had a sleeping child only a few rooms down the hall. Naruto moved fast, biting the crook of her neck, licking the salt from her skin. She dug her fingers into his back, forgetting for a moment that his body was speckled with bruises and other injuries from countless battles.

Naruto didn't seem to notice the slight pain, or care, as her hands slid down his sweat slicked back, pressing against old bruises. He met her mouth with his in a sloppy kiss, his thrusts becoming hard and erratic. She shut her eyes, burying her head into his shoulder, breathily gasping out his name.

"Look at me, Hinata," Naruto said, his voice deep. He slowed his movements and she sounded her disapproval. "Look at me."

She brought her head up, breathing heavily. His dark blue eyes, glazed over in lust, stared hard into her, freezing her to the spot. He resumed his thrusts, his eyes penetrating. He wanted to see her. Wanted to see this woman he hadn't in so long. Hinata felt another orgasm building up within her and she let him know. He could feel her muscles fluttering around him and he leaned in to give her a kiss, no doubt bruising her lips.

She didn't mind.

She wrapped her legs around him tighter, leaving almost no space between their hips. The muscles in his arms were tight as he held her up against his arm. His other hand was busy fondling her breasts, trying to help her reach her peak. And she did, her back arching enough to push away from the wall. Naruto groaned deeply when he felt her clench around him, no doubt purposefully, she knew exactly what to do to get him over the edge.

He released inside of her and both didn't move for a few seconds, breathing heavily, sweat inching down their bodies. Then he pulled her small body against him and led her over to the bed, settling her down comfortably. She pulled him down to kiss him, her hands splayed against his cheeks, fingers running against the whiskers she loved so much.

"Don't think I'm done with you yet, Hinata," Naruto growled, nipping at her skin.

"Mm, I didn't think so," she hummed appreciatively. His stamina was unmatchable. A blush spread across her body as she noticed the heated look he was giving her. He moved in for another kiss, ready to go another round.

.

* * *

.

They didn't know when they fell asleep, they only knew they were awakened by a cry.

Hinata shot up in bed instantly and Naruto followed in suit. His ears twitched as they placed the cry and he dropped a gentle hand on her bare shoulder as she made to slide off the bed.

"I'll check on him," Naruto said, beaming at his lover.

She gave him a thankful smile and settled back down into bed, watching as he moved around the room, quickly pulling on a pair of pants before exiting into the hallway. She listened for a while as he spoke quietly to his son, hushing him, coaxing him out of whatever nightmare a child could dream of.

When Naruto returned to the room he realized Hinata had fallen asleep again, no doubt exhausted from their actions before. He felt as though his heart would burst. Hinata and Boruto…what more could he need? He pressed himself against her back as sleep overtook him, the fact that he had to leave very soon for once gone from his mind.

.

* * *

.

She watched him walk away once more.

Boruto was confused as to why his mothers cheeks were wet. He pressed his palm against her face and she laughed lightly, kissing him on your nose.

"Come on, Boru," she said to the boy. "Time to pack. We can't stay here anymore."

She was to go back to her home with the elves but not everything always works out the way you would hope.

The oldest of the elves…and  _supposedly_  the wisest…disagreed with the union between elves and humans. She was allowed to stay but the looks she received and the hushed whispers she heard were enough to drive her away. She bid her sister and father a sad farewell. They had long ago heard of Neji's passing, and Hinata's departure just made the hole in their hearts bigger.

They feared she'd be lonely but she insisted she had enough love between Naruto, herself, and Boruto to keep her going.

She would later learn that she was carrying another child of his. A beautiful baby girl, born in a small town, the very town she lived in now. She made close friends with a couple of the other villagers that lived there who checked on her often. They played with her children, helped her with errands, and spoke of their own experiences in the war with her.

There was a knock on the door that pulled Hinata out of her reverie. She tore her gaze away from the bow and arrows hanging on the wall and tiptoed down the hallway, careful not to wake the children she had put to bed moments before.

It was late but she wasn't worried because she expected a visitor.

"Kiba," she said, opening the door and giving her friend a hug. The large man hugged her back tightly, lifting her up a little. She laughed at his playfulness but they both pulled apart at a strange sound somewhere deeper in the forest. It sounded like metal sliding against metal.

Hinata peered into the dark trees, her eyes straining but there wasn't enough moonlight to illuminate the grounds. Kiba's ears twitched but there was no more noise. He looked down at his large, almost wolf like, dog, Akamaru who didn't seem concerned.

"Huh," he said with a shrug. He turned back to the woman before him and held out a large bag. "Just came back from hunting," he informed her. "Got you some good stuff."

"Oh, that's so great!" she said, ushering him and his pet inside.

She shut the door and locked it, staring out into the darkness once more. She thought she hear a few breaking twigs but Kiba placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Probably some traveler heading to the local inn," he said.

"Hm, most likely," Hinata said but she went around and shut the curtains anyway. She didn't worry so much anymore because rumor said that the last of the battles had finished some time ago. Soldiers should be returning home now. She certainly hoped that were true.

Hinata stored away the food Kiba had brought and insisted he spend the night. He agreed, mentioning that their friend Shino would most likely be arriving tomorrow morning before they head off to a nearby town to collect certain things. She gave him a short list of items that she needed and a few coins that he refused to take before he settled down on the couch, kicking his legs up. Akamaru curled up on the rug near the fireplace and she headed back to her bedroom once she made sure her guests were properly taken care of.

.

* * *

.

She woke up early to prepare breakfast as quietly as she could so not to wake up the rest of the house. Just as she finished taking the last few slices of bacon off the fire she heard a knock on the door.

She made her way down the hall, passing the room that Kiba slept.

"Must be Shino," he said, stretching on the couch.

She nodded. "There's breakfast on the table. Feel free-"

There was more knocking on the door and she continued on her way.

She opened the door, ready to greet her friend Shino but the words stuck in her throat as she looked up, not at black glasses, but blue eyes.

"Na-"

"Hinata," he said, looking down at her sadly. She wanted to move to hold him but for some reason something held her in place. His gaze ventured down to the hand that still wore the ring he gave her. A ring promising a life together. His expression looked pained and he was about to say something else when there was the sound of shuffling footsteps behind Hinata.

Naruto looked up and his eyes narrowed at the sight of the brow haired, tattooed, scraggly looking man that entered the hallway. He looked half asleep and his clothes were wrinkled from what Naruto assumed was from a night of tossing and turning he did in bed.

Hinata noticed his change in demeanor and saw his hand twitch and move just the slightest towards his sword. The fingers on his right arm were bandaged and she felt concern bloom inside of her even though threatening waves emanated from the blonde man.

The  _other_  man moved closer to them, yawning, showing off his sharp canines. He stopped a little too close to Hinata for Naruto's taste and looked at the whiskered man curiously. His eyebrows furrowed together and his eyes widened.

"Hinata, is this-"

"Momma!" a shout came from somewhere in the house and the sound of light footsteps got closer and closer. Boruto flew into view and Naruto felt his body relax, his fingers inched away from his weapon as he watched  _his_  son approach them. "Hi Kiba!" Boruto said loudly. He slowed down from his run when he noticed the stranger at the door.

The kid weaved around Kiba, who took several steps back, not wanting to involve himself in the little reunion. He saw the angry look on the warriors face. Kiba wasn't dumb. He knew quite well where the mans thoughts wandered.

Boruto tugged at the end of Hinata's dress. "Mom, who's that?" he asked, pointing at Naruto. Naruto felt his heart clench painfully. He looked at Hinata who looked concerned.

"Go to him, Boruto," Hinata said, nudging him gently.

Boruto took a few steps closer and narrowed his eyes at the other man. "You got hair like me."

Naruto chuckled, bending down to meet his gaze. "I do."

"An' my whiskers," Boruto said, staring intently.

"That's right, kid." Naruto wished the kid would put everything together.

"Kiba!" a higher pitched voice came from inside the house and Naruto tore his gaze away from his son only to see a blur jump into the arms of the toothy man. Naruto felt his heart drop. He could only see the little girls hair. Clearly she was Hinata's. Her dark blue hair looked just as beautiful as her mothers.

Naruto met Hinata's gaze. She smiled at him hesitantly but a frown was set on his face.

"Himawari!" the man named Kiba laughed, hugging her.

 _Himawari_? Naruto felt like someone punched him in the gut. He clearly remembered all the times he would bring home Hinata large sunflowers. How they used to talk of a large garden filled with those pretty flowers along with others. She would name the daughter she had with the other man  _Himawari_? He was hurt.

Naruto felt a tightness in his throat. Boruto was proof that there was a time that Hinata loved him unconditionally. Just imaging Hinata loving another man enough to have a child with him was painful…but seeing Kiba holding their daughter?

Naruto wanted to see the childs face. Would she have sharp teeth like the man holding her? His dark eyes?

"Naruto." Hinata's voice pulled him to her. "Close your eyes." She always seemed to know what he was thinking.

He didn't want to. He wasn't sure about anything anymore… but the look on her face begged him.

"Please," Hinata said.

"Hey, old man!" Boruto said, kicking his shoe. "Listen to my mom!"

Naruto almost laughed. He reminded him so much of himself when he was younger.

He shut his eyes and sensed Hinata moving away from him. Then a familiar scent surrounded him. He inhaled as the air shifted. He felt her heat as she stood in front of him.

"Hold out your arms," she said, her voice a whisper.

He obeyed and she placed a gentle weight in his grasp. It moved and he held it close to him.

"You can look now."

He opened his eyes and for just a second thought he was looking in a mirror.

Himawari looked at him and he felt happiness bubble in his heart but he dared not let it take over. Not until he was sure.

She had blue eyes. And whiskers.

The child looked at his face in awe. She brought her little hands up to his ears, feeling the tips. "They not pointy like mommy. They round," she stated. "Like me."

"Yeah," Naruto said breathlessly, feeling tears gather in his eyes. "Like you."

The child poked at his cheeks. "I have lines too mister," she said. "Look." She waved her hands, trying to get him to bring his palm up. When he did she placed his large hand on her cheek, rubbing against him. "I like 'em," she said.

He laughed. The girl was a little ray of sunshine. He nodded happily, feeling a tear escape.

Himawari followed the trail of water and stared into his blue eyes. "You got brothers eyes," she said.

Naruto broke. "You also have your brothers eyes," he said, tears running freely down his cheeks. He hugged the child against him tightly, shutting his eyes, laughing.

"Mom," Naruto heard Boruto talking in a whisper. "Why's that man crying?" There was a pause. "Why are  _you_  crying?" Boruto sounded frantic. Naruto snapped his eyes open and looked over at Hinata and noticed she was wiping away tears she hadn't noticed were on her face, smiling happily.

"Mom's just happy," Hinata said.

Boruto looked doubtful.

"Okay, you two, come here," Kiba broke in. Naruto reluctantly placed Himawari on the floor and the two children rushed over to the other man. "I think we should give your mom some time to talk to Naruto."

"Who's Naruto?" Himawari asked innocently, holding on to Borutos hand.

Hinata moved close to Naruto, her hands hovering…hesitating.

She thought he was mad.

God, he was so stupid. How could he even doubt her?

"When?" he asked, his eyes briefly shifting over to Himawari.

Hinata blushed. "That first night you came back," she whispered. Naruto thought so. "I named her…" Hinata trailed off.

"You remembered," Naruto said, smiling.

"Of course."

He looked down at the beautiful woman before him. "I promised I would come back."

"I never doubted it," she said, bringing her hand up again to place against his chest only to drop it back to her side.

He chuckled and fingered her hair. "It's short," he said.

Hinata nodded. "Do you not like it?" she gave him a playful smile. "Raising two kids is hard work, you know."

"You're beautiful." He closed the gap between them and she gasped lightly. "I've waited a really long time to hold you again," he said quietly.

"How much longer are you going to wait?" she asked as he snaked his arms around her waist. She was biting her lips in that innocent way she did, not knowing the affect it had on him.

Hinata placed her hands on his chest, standing on tiptoes as he leaned down to meet her.

It had been so long…and it felt so right.

But the kiss was short.

"Hey! You shitty stranger!" Boruto's voice forced them to pull apart. "Why're you kissing my mom?" He stormed over and pushed at Naruto, who didn't budge an inch. He smirked at his son.

"What, you're father can't kiss your mother?" he asked with a grin.

Boruto's eyes widened and Himawari came running over, pushing past her brother. "I knew it!" she announced, leaping onto his leg.

.

* * *

.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Kiba left soon after Naruto's announcement when Shino walked in to a house full of laughter and happy tears. He was confused but seeing the blonde, whiskered man allowed him to come to a very accurate conclusion as to who he was. Hinata spoke of this man on countless occasions, and when Naruto introduced himself he knew right away this was the love of her life.

Later that night Hinata asked him what took him so long to return to her. He had told her he went to the realm of the elves but they didn't want to have anything to do with him. No one would tell him where she went. It was only when her sister Hanabi ran after him, giving him a clue as to where she could be. He spent weeks searching for her. He had left as soon as the war was over, unable to stand being apart from her anymore. He searched and searched until he finally found the town Hanabi had mentioned. It was late when he came across the house and the first thing he saw was Hinata hugging another man, leading him inside her house, and closing the blinds.

"Nothing happened," she said, brushing his cheek. "I would never-"

"I know," he said, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch. "I know…but I was scared. I was scared I neglected you for too long."

"Neglected? You were fighting in a  _war_. I'd never hold that against you."

He kissed her. Again. And again. "I went to some local pub but finally worked up the courage to see you this morning. I couldn't just let you slip away…not when you were so close."

"I'll never slip away," she said, kissing his neck. "I love you too much."

"I love you too," he said, returning her affection. He chuckled.

"What?"

"I never thought I'd fall in love with an elf."

Hinata pouted. "What's wrong with elves?"

He shook his head. "No more talk," he said, hoisting her up. "Let me  _show_  you how much I love you."

She giggled, his kisses tickling her. "From now on I go wherever you go," she said. " _We_  go wherever you go," she said, thinking of her sleeping children.

He agreed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

 


	9. One-Shot 7: Samurai AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this age you are born into certain duties. You live the path set out for you. What happens when you want to get away from those responsibilities? You run.

It started off as a job.

He had to escort this rich, young, woman to some extra rich, fancy town.

Naruto frowned, chewing on a toothpick, one hand tucked into his clothes, the other on the head of his furry, dark orange, almost red companion as he walked steadily…slowly…so slow…

"Do you mind if we pick it up a bit?" he asked the dark haired woman shuffling along just behind him. If we were alone he would be riding his beast, running through these woods.

"Oh! Of course not," she said, her voice low. "I'm sorry."

He glanced back at her. Women in this day and age weren't really allowed to travel alone. They were encouraged to stay and manage the home. Watch over their children.

He looked at her curiously. She was keeping up with him easily, staring at the floor. She didn't look like she'd have children. She was around his age. Not yet nearing twenty, but close.

She was dressed in a simple, silk kimono. The sleeves were loose but (he noticed with a blush) the sash around her waist was tied tight, the clothing complimenting her curves.

She looked up at him, surprised. "D-do I have something on my face?"

His head shot back to look at the road ahead of them. He felt the tips of his ears heat up. "No," he said. "No, I was just…" he trailed off, mumbling.

Hinata stifled a giggle.

The blonde samurai was supposed to be escorting her to a village far away. She frowned at the thought. It wasn't up to her to decide whether or not she go. She was treated as property. Expensive, important property.

She remembered when the man came to pick her up. Normally her cousin, Neji Hyuga, would be the one to take her where she needed to go if the situation arose but he was already running some other errand. Hinata was to go to the village, stay for a while and get acquainted with the people (one person in particular), and her family would follow soon after for a special event.

Naruto had walked into the Hyuga compound nonchalant, a very large fox at his side with, strange enough, nine tails. She remembered how the mighty Hyuga took steps back when the fox, taller than Naruto's waist, and more than likely taller than Naruto himself when on its hind legs, entered the room. There were a few bags stuffed with the samurai's belongings strapped onto the creatures back. Naruto was wearing worn out sandals, his hakama tied loosely and exposing his bandaged lower torso and toned chest.

She blushed at the thought, lowering her gaze to the ground again.

She mustn't think those thoughts!

But her mind wandered again to the necklace that hung around his neck. She glanced up at his broad back. His clothing was rusty orange, the top half, sleeves and sash black. There was a small red swirl stitched on near the back of his neck. She glanced down at her simple lavender dress, with a dark sash and details. She was supposed to be hiding the fact that she came from such a rich family (though her unique, characteristic Hyuga eyes would normally give her away to those with enough knowledge of the rest of the Samurai world). She felt the cold metal of the hidden dagger in her sleeve and her eyes shifted to the long katana slipped into his belt. She hoped neither of them had to use a weapon.

Ah, but nothing is ever that simple.

Naruto stopped.

She nearly bumped into him, too so engrossed in her thoughts to realize he had come to a halt.

"What's wrong-" she started to asked before he held up a finger to hush her.

He stood still, taking a step towards her so his back was nearly pressed against her front. She saw his fingers inch towards his katana and she looked around warily. The fox beside him growled aggressively, its fur standing on end.

The forest they were walking through seemed eerily quiet.

They seemed to stand there forever before something moved. A blur burst out of a nearby bush and shot out past them, scampering away into the trees. Naruto's (what Hinata assumed) pet ran after the poor animal with a snarl, vanishing into the underbrush.

Naruto had his weapon pulled out and ready, his toothpick snapped in two at the pressure he applied. He wasn't concerned about where his fox ran off. He'd be back in no time.

"Ah, shit," he said, spitting out what remained of the toothpick. He sheathed his katana and indicated that Hinata follow once more. "Just a squirrel or something."

"It was a rabbit," Hinata spoke. Naruto looked at her. The creature moved pretty damn fast. Hinata flushed. "I-I mean, I'm sure it was…" she cleared her throat and turned away. She tug into her kimono, no doubt into some pouch she had hidden away. Naruto shrugged and turned his attention back to the road.

Then there was a gentle tap on his shoulder.

He turned and looked into the white, almost purple eyes of the Hyuga. She was holding something out. Her hand was too close and he almost had to cross his eyes completely to see as he tilted his head back a bit.

"Oh, wow!" he said, snatching the little wooden item from her grasp before shoving it into his mouth. "Thank you! How come you're carrying toothpicks around?"

Hinata shrugged, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "When you were staying at the compound for a few days while my father tested your skills I noticed you'd constantly be biting on one so I thought…"

He waited for her to continue but realized she most likely wouldn't. She was very soft-spoken and not at all demanding like all the other rich clients he had to put up with. It was strange. She was weird. But…he didn't mind it at all. In fact…it was kind of nice.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

She just nodded, hiding a smile.

But he saw it, and he hid one too.

.

* * *

.

It was later when they were seated around a campfire did Naruto start up a new conversation.

"How come you picked me?" he asked, slurping the rabbit soup that Hinata had whipped up once the fox returned with his catch.

Hinata stopped stirring the little pot that Naruto had stored in one of the few bags he traveled with. "What do you mean? You were the most qualified."

Naruto snorted. "There were about a dozen other people at the compound. All probably wanting the job to escort you."

"It pays well, I hope," Hinata mumbled quietly.

Naruto looked up at her, placing his chipped, wooden bowl onto the ground. "Eh, could be better." His joking grin went unnoticed by the other girl.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure I can find a way to repay you for your trouble," she started, an uncomfortable expression covering her face as she met his gaze.

He shook his head. "I was joking. I took the job beca-" he trailed off and stared pointedly into his bowl of soup, eyebrows furrowed. She looked at him curiously, surprised at his sudden change in demeanor.

He didn't seem as though he was going to continue so she leaned against the tree and looked curiously over to the large mound that sat beside her escort. The fox's eyes glinted in the light from the fire, watching her with dark eyes. She didn't feel threatened by its presence…just a little bit uneasy.

"What's his name?" she spoke.

"Why do you think it's a he?" Naruto asked, rubbing behind the foxes ears.

Hinata's eyes widened. "O-oh, I don't know. I just assumed… I'm sorry-"

Naruto laughed and Hinata shut her mouth immediately, flushing. "No, you're right. His name is Kurama."

"Kurama," she allowed the name to roll off her tongue. She smiled. "That's nice."

Naruto looked from the fox, who continued to stare at the woman curiously, to Hinata. "I'd offer to let you pet him, but the last person to do that had his hand taken off."

Hinata laughed but Naruto continued to stare at her emotionlessly. She stopped immediately. "Oh."

Naruto chuckled. "I'm just kidding." Hinata relaxed. "He only bit him a little."

She stared at him with wide eyes and she could have sworn Kurama smirked.

The fox got up and made his way around the campfire, approaching Hinata slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. Hinata felt the urge to back up and get away from the creature lurking towards her but she held her ground.

"Kurama…" Naruto said with a hint of warning in his tone, getting up on his feet warily.

The fox just huffed and came closer, stopping right in front of her. She was seated and it felt as though Kurama was towering above her. She swallowed and shut her eyes when she felt the foxes hot breath on her face. Then something moist on her cheek.

Her eyes shot open but the fox had already turned and headed back to his spot. Her eyes turned towards Naruto who looked surprised. He sat down again, looking at her curiously.

"I think he likes you."

Hinata brought a hand up to her cheek. "Did he  _lick_  me?"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah."

"Oh," she looked at the fox again, a smile forming on her face. She blinked slowly, her body feeling tired.

Naruto noticed. "You sure you're okay with sleeping out here? It's probably nothing you're used to."

"I'm fine," the Hyuga insisted. She settled herself as comfortably as she could, sleep almost overtaking her. She yawned as her eyes drifted shut, the fire crackling comfortably. She saw Naruto lean against Kurama, staring at her with a strange expression. Was that  _concern_? "I'm okay, really," she said, her eyes fluttering shut. "I have you here with me."

She didn't see but Naruto's face warmed up and it wasn't because of the fire.

.

* * *

.

Their trek wasn't quiet for the most part. Naruto was quite talkative when he got down to it, not that Hinata minded. It was only in certain situations did Naruto slow his speech and really think about what he was saying.

During the beginning of their travels Naruto had laid down a few ground rules. They had gotten into a small scuffle with a couple bandits, nothing he couldn't handle but he had to make sure she was safe. It was his job after all.

"When I tell you to run, you  _run_ ," Naruto demanded, poking at the fire with a stick.

"What if you're in trouble?" she asked genuinely.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm supposed to look out for you. It would be easier if you listened to what I said," he said with a light chuckle.

She nodded briefly, though not exactly liking it. "Run?"

"Run."

.

* * *

.

"How did you know my father was hiring?" Hinata asked one afternoon.

"There was news about it all over town. A chance to get on the Hyuga's good side and a chance to impress the pretty heiress," Naruto said, chewing on his toothpick once more. He chuckled at the look on her face. "I'm just repeating what they said," he winked. "Anyway, I thought, why not?" Hinata nodded. He glanced at her once more and hesitated. "I saw Sasuke Uchiha there," he mumbled.

"Oh yes, I remember too."

"How come your father didn't hire him?" Naruto asked.

Hinata faltered. "Well…"

Naruto chuckled darkly. "He was going to wasn't he?" The woman gave him a nervous smile. "What changed his mind?"

"Ah…well," she poked her fingers together before jamming her hands pack at her sides. She hated that habit of hers. "I did."

Naruto's eyebrows rose slowly. "How come?"

Hinata looked around, anywhere but at the man beside her. Kurama was walking near her now, Naruto at her right, the fox her left. She mumbled something too low for him to hear.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"You probably don't remember me-"

"I do."

Hinata looked back at him quickly, surprised.

Now Naruto was staring straight ahead, his arms bent to settle at the back of his head. "I don't just take any job, you know?" Hinata said nothing. "We were little. You encouraged me when no one else would. When I was ready to give up on becoming anything great."

"I didn't…"

"You did," he said, looking down at her, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "It was a small thing. I was training. Don't know what you were doing at that field." Hinata blushed, her hands retracting back into her sleeves. "But you came and pushed me to work harder." She didn't say it now; she would later, much later on in their lives. But he had pushed her to do her best too.

"It was nothing," she said humbly.

"It was everything," he amended. "Everything could have turned out differently if you weren't there-"

"Anyone could have said the same thing-"

"But not anyone did," Naruto said, not understanding why she didn't accept his words. " _You_  did."

She blushed, staring at the ground. Kurama brushed up against her and she almost jumped, she was so concentrated on Naruto's words.

"That wasn't the only time," he spoke again, this time almost whispering. "Years later I had gotten into another fight with a powerful samurai," he snorted. "I thought I was going to die. But you came out of no where and distracted him long enough for Kurama here to help me out."

"I remember that," Hinata said, her hand unconsciously moving towards her chest.

"The injury healed up fine, I hope?" he asked gently.

She nodded.

He stared at her in wonder. "Honestly, I wouldn't have remembered anyone else if they did the same things as you did."

Hinata looked at him, confused.

"But you have really beautiful eyes," Naruto said, clearing his throat. "I knew you were a Hyuga, but I had always assumed Hyuga's were these obnoxious pricks, kind of like my Uchiha friend."

Hinata giggled. "I've heard about Sasuke from my friend Sakura," she said.

Naruto grinned. "The world is smaller than you think. We may not have had too much contact, Hinata, but you are one of the few people I've consciously tried to remember. That I've thought about. You're very different from the Hyuga's I thought."

"In a good way I hope," she said with a light laugh.

"Very good," he grinned.

She looked as though she were going to say something before Kurama dashed from Hinata's side and situated himself in front of the pair, his fur standing on end.

Naruto cursed under his breath. They were so preoccupied that they didn't even realize they were walking into an ambush.

"Hinata, get behind me," Naruto said, pulling out his katana with one hand and grabbing her with the other.

They stood still, listening intently. Naruto tried to place how many were hidden in the trees but was unable to. Then the quiet broke as soon as it came.

Men streamed from in between trees, yelling as they bound towards their small group. Kurama immediately leapt on top of the first man, sinking his teeth into his neck. Naruto slashed his sword as fast as he could, trying to keep the men at bay and away from Hinata.

But there were just too many of them. They kept coming and before he knew what was happening, he felt Hinata's presence disappear from next to him.

Naruto turned too late and saw a large man with a bandaged head and an eye patch covering his right eye holding her tightly by the arms. His broad form towered over Hinata's and he smirked maliciously at Naruto, his stupid little goatee brushing the top of Hinata's head. The man radiated self-confidence as he held the tip of his katana near Hinata's neck.

"Who do we have here?" the man asked menacingly. He brushed Hinata's hair over one shoulder, pulling it to expose more of her neck. She struggled pushing against him but he tightened his grip on her arm, leaving bruises underneath her clothing. He pushed his weapon further into her skin; just enough to press it down but not cut her.

"Let go of her," Naruto threatened, wiping blood off of his katana. He could hear Kurama taking care of the remainder of the mans men.

"What's your name?" he said, leaning down so his breath tingled her ear. She struggled, her eyes meeting Naruto's. His mouth was set in a thin frown and she could see his knuckles had turned white from gripping his katana so tightly. A few thin red lines crisscrossed his bare chest, a couple of the bandages normally wrapped around his abdomen hanging in tatters.

"Naruto," Hinata called to him. The anger in his eyes dissipated and was replaced with concern. "Are you okay?"

Naruto made to move towards her before her head snapped back. The man tugged at her hair and she couldn't help but yelp in pain. "I asked for your name," he hissed.

"Don't touch her," Naruto snarled, stuffing his hand inside his clothes to grab at his bo shuriken.

"I wouldn't if I were you," the man threatened, breaking her skin. Naruto followed the trail of red blood as it disappeared into the hem of her kimono. Reluctantly he brought his hand out back into the open. Damn, he was supposed to be protecting her from these dangers. It was his  _job_  and he was doing really poorly.

He saw Kurama lurking around in the shadows behind the man, looking for an opportunity to strike. Good boy.

"Fine, don't tell me your name," the man said, his eyes running along the figure of the woman he captured. Hinata shifted nervously. "I heard the samurai talking about you."

Naruto cursed in his head. He was so easily distracted by his conversation with Hinata and let his guard down. Pathetic.

"You don't look like much," the man continued. "Any peasant woman could get a dress like this." Katana in hand, he ran the metal against her kimono. "Eh, but this looks like silk. So most likely worth a bit more." Quickly, he cut at the sash that bound her clothes shut and Hinata scrambled to keep the pieces from falling. "You probably have lots of money hidden underneath this, huh? After all you are a  _Hyuga_ ," Hinata stilled. "And I'm sure I can get a lot of money for you." The man laughed. "I wouldn't mind keeping you for a while. They can have you back once I'm done with you. You are very pleasing to the eyes."

"I'd advise you keep your eyes on me," Naruto spoke, his voice low and his tone dangerous. His eyes were narrowed and dark, like the sky before a storm, and he held his katana out. The man hadn't noticed when the other samurai moved, but he wouldn't let that little mishap ruin his fun.

The man holding Hinata laughed. He pushed her aside roughly, holding his weapon, ready to fight. Naruto's eyes followed Hinata's form as she was pushed further from him, her back to him. Her knees hit the floor and he noticed her kimono hung loosely from her shoulders. She wasn't looking at the two men getting ready to fight; instead she was fumbling with something on her body. He assumed he was trying to shut her kimono.

He assumed wrong.

Before Naruto even had a chance to raise his katana to fight the man that threatened Hinata, she turned. He almost averted his eyes to preserve her modesty when he realized her dress hung open but he needn't worry. She was wearing bandages similar to him and in both her hands she held small knives. Even Kurama paused in his movements as he watched the woman approach her former captor, tap him on the shoulder, and begin to attack and defend. There would have been no honor in stabbing him while his back was turned.

Naruto stood on his shifting feet, unsure as to whether or not he should interfere. Hinata seemed to be handling the fight satisfactorily. She played the part of a damsel in distress quiet well, but now she was a fierce warrior, nimbly dodging every attack the man threw at her, before finally delivering a fatal one to him.

Once all that was taken care of she wiped her weapons on the grass and hid them in her sleeves once more. Naruto stood there in awe. He was pretty sure his mouth was open but he couldn't make himself close it.

Hinata approached him. "How did I do, my escort?" she asked.

Was she  _teasing_  him? Naruto shut his mouth and looked away and instead concentrated on Kurama who approached them once more. Hinata realized that her big, strong guard was  _blushing._ She looked down at herself before squeaking and pulling her kimono shut. Tying it closed the best she could with her torn sash.

"I have an extra in one of my bags," Naruto mumbled, bumping into Kurama. The fox nipped at him and Naruto just scowled. God, he just knew if a tree were any closer he probably would have walked right into it. He wasn't seeing straight, he kept seeing  _her_.

"Th-thank you," Hinata stuttered out. "I'm sure I have one too." She tried to look anywhere but at him. "Thank you for letting me keep my stuff on Kurama."

"It's no problem," Naruto said, throwing a long strip of fabric at her. It was orange, not that she minded, and she quickly tied her kimono shut. They were quite a pair. Him with his orange outfit, bandages torn, and red lines marking his chest. Her, with her oddly mismatched lavender kimono and bright orange sash, and disheveled hair. It was oddly endearing. "Ah, I guess we should continue on."

"But your injuries!" Hinata exclaimed, rushing over to him, all embarrassment forgotten. She instinctively raised her hand to check whether the cuts on his chest were deep or not. She ran her fingers gently across them and he bit his lip to stifle a hiss. She didn't realize the insinuations of her actions; she was intently looking at his wounds. "I have a salve that I'm sure will help heal these cuts. And these bandages need changing. Maybe we should make camp nearby."

"Okay," Naruto said a bit too quickly and his voice too high pitched in his opinion. He wanted to smack himself. What was  _wrong_  with him. Why was he acting like such a klutz? He cleared his throat and stared down at the woman before him, still observing his injuries. His hand moved on its own. Gently, he traced the blood that trailed down her neck, wiping the offending mark away. "Okay," he said softly.

He could have sworn his stupid fox snickered.

.

* * *

.

Both Hinata and Naruto were all blush and stutter the entire time she was helping to change his bandages and dress his wounds.

It was a bit awkward but as they packed up to go, both had silly smiles on their faces.

"Thanks for back there," Hinata said, navigating around a fallen tree.

Naruto chuckled, his toothpick back in his mouth once again. "Not sure you even need me escorting you."

"Nonsense. I lady must not travel alone," Hinata said playfully.

Naruto was thoughtful. "So  _that's_  why you were at the training field that day so long ago."

Hinata pursed her lips. "Maybe…"

He nudged her with his elbow, grinning. "You can tell me."

She returned his smile but it vanished quickly. "All that doesn't matter now."

He frowned. "How come? I think it's pretty great that you were training."

She was silent for a while. "The place where you are supposed to take me…" she hesitated. "I'm sorry. It just doesn't matter anymore."

Naruto wanted to ask her more but she looked downcast. He didn't know anything about why he was supposed to take her to this new town, just that he had to. She'd tell him when she was ready. If she ever wanted to.

But he didn't like this one bit.

Where was he taking her? And did she want to go?

.

* * *

.

They'd been traveling for a few months together now. The journey was long and, purposefully or not, they were taking it slow. The pair seemed to enjoy each other's company. They whispered into the night, laughed and joked around during the day. They took detours, making up reasons as to why they  _had_  to follow the winding river, or they  _had_  to find another way to cross the mountain. Neither said aloud that they simply wanted to prolong the time they spent together.

It was unspoken, but both heard it well.

There was a time they had to cross a small stream by walking over a fallen log. Naruto made it across first to make sure the rotting piece of wood would hold and Hinata followed right behind him. She was about to cross over to the other side when Kurama decided to run across the very log she was trying to maintain her balance on. He leapt over the woman and over Naruto and started pacing around the shore. Hinata yelped and struggled to stay balanced. She lurched forward and Naruto caught her in his arms, both of them tumbling to the ground. They had laughed but when she realized their positions she blushed. Wanting to hide her red face, she buried it into his chest. He held her for a while, not noticing the pebbles digging into his back. They moved only when Kurama barked at them, annoyed.

But most of the time, when they weren't casually walking, Naruto would suddenly turn and grab Hinata's hand, staring straight into her eyes, his own twinkling with glee and mischief, before uttering one word:  _"Run_."

And they would, hand in hand, with Kurama at their side.

They would love the feeling of being free while laughing, tumbling, jumping, and just  _running_  together.

They would never have a particular in mind while on the run but eventually they would stop, panting for breath, grinning from ear to ear before continuing at a leisurely pace.

Despite the slow journey (Naruto refuses to remember that when they had first set out, he had thought they were going  _too_  slow), soon they were nearing the town he was supposed to take her to.

Hinata tentatively tapped Naruto on the shoulder.

"Do you think we can take a detour?" she asked hesitantly, smiling warily.

He looked at her with eyebrows raised, spitting his toothpick out and then grinning exuberantly. ""Feeling a bit rebellious?"

Hinata turned pink. "I just don't want to reach our destination just yet."

Naruto laughed. "Want to spend more time with Kurama and I, huh? What kind of a detour were you thinking?"

"I want to see a bit more of these lands," Hinata said, her eyes shining, holding her hands together. "I want to visit some of my old friends and just…" she trailed off with a sigh. "I understand if you don't want to. I'll pay you for your extra time."

Naruto looked at her sadly. "Hinata, do you really think I'm doing all this for the money?" he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "But of course I'll go with you."

She smiled sincerely, moving to hug him but held herself back. She let out a breathy giggle. "I want to introduce you to my friends Kiba and Shino."

.

* * *

.

She had rushed him to the town where her friends lived. She was excited and told him stories of the times she spent playing with them years back. They sounded interesting enough, but he couldn't get himself to not think about what things would have been like if  _he_  were in their place.

They saw Shino first. Naruto thought he was a bit weird. He was nice enough but he had this creepy aura around him and Naruto felt like he was cursing him for something he did in some other life. Naruto had ushered Hinata out of there pretty quickly and went to visit her next friend.

Kiba was  _okay_. Just okay. Well, that's what Naruto thought. Kurama and Akamaru, Kiba's pet dog, got along just fine and Naruto  _thought_  he would be able to get along with Kiba if they got to know each other more but for now…he was just  _okay_. He felt uncomfortable with the way the toothy man embraced Hinata, exclaiming how much he missed her and how she should visit more often now that she would be living closer.

Hinata said he was a friend.

Well, _Naruto_ 's just a friend but he still wants to hold and do a lot more than kiss her.

Naruto  _did_ walk into a tree at that thought.

He was  _not_  supposed to be thinking those things.

They had been traveling for a while now. They even visited a few of his old acquaintances. Someone named Gaara and another named Killer Bee. They were nice. Gaara seemed intrigued by her and told her he was glad Naruto met someone like Hinata. Killer Bee liked to sing a lot. Hinata didn't mind but sometimes he'd say things without thinking, creating an unnecessary atmosphere of awkwardness that, fortunately, wouldn't last long, because he was actually a really nice guy.

By the times they finished making their rounds, they had been traveling the lands for a long time now. They were finally on the track to the town Hinata was supposed to be dropped off at when they stopped for the night. Naruto had bought a bottle of sake to share between the two, sort of a goodbye party, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't feeling just the slightest bit tipsy.

She liked the warm feeling the drink left in her stomach. The fire crackled before them and Kurama slept on the opposite side, his large form gently rising and lowering as he took deep breaths. She sat near her samurai escort, settled beside the gentle flowing stream, a bottle between them.

She felt his gaze on her. She continued to look at the fire, ripping up the grass beneath her. She didn't want to go to the town. She was too happy with how things were now.

"Hinata," Naruto's voice sounded softly and she turned to look at him. The way the full moon shone high above the trees and illuminated his beautiful hair and bright eyes didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Hm?"

Naruto felt his heart thump rapidly in his chest. He was to drop her off tomorrow…it was now or never. "I told you I didn't take the job for the money…" he paused, staring into her eyes. She stopped pulling at the grass and turned to face him slowly.

"You did," she said, pressing him to continue.

Naruto clenched and unclenched his fist, his body leaning towards hers. "I could care less about the pay," he went on, his words getting faster. "I always remember you when I'm in some sort of trouble. When I'm fighting another warrior I might lose to. I remember how you had so much faith in me…" he was on his knees now, body angled towards her. "When I heard those other men talking about you, wanting to escort you to some town miles and miles away…just you and them. The things they said…I got  _angry_ ," Naruto continued, his hand hovering towards her. Her eyes were wide, her heart beating fast. "I wanted to protect the girl-the woman-that encouraged me so long ago. That  _saved_  me so long ago."

"Naruto-" she choked out, smiling as she felt a few tears escape her eyes.

They knew for a fact that these words weren't just being uttered because of the empty bottle of sake beside them. These were the words he was carrying around with him for all the months they traveled together.

She could feel his breath on her lips. When had he gotten there? She was so engrossed with his speech that she hadn't noticed, nor  _cared_. Butterflies (or was it moths? She didn't pay much mind) flickered around them and the moon illuminated the calm body of water beside them. The fire crackled, and their hearts beat in unison.

"It started off as a job," Naruto continued, moving his hand up to cup her cheek. "But it grew to be so much more than that," he said, leaning closer. Her eyes fluttered shut. "All this time I was able to spend with you was-"

"-Perfect," she finished with a whisper.

"Yeah…" he said, staring, just for a moment, at the face of the woman, eyes shut so trustingly, before him.

Then he closed the distance between them.

The kisses started off sweet…simple…tender…but quickly grew to something more. They weren't sure now whether it was influenced by the sake, whose empty bottle was knocked over into the water long ago, or maybe by the heat from the fire, but Naruto had pushed Hinata so her back was against the soft ground.

He kissed all of her exposed skin. Her lips, her forehead, her nose, her ears, her neck.

Her  _neck_.

She tilted her head back, exposing more of her pale skin to him as he continued to nip and suck at her flesh. Her fingers clung to the hard planes of his bare chest, brushing against the bandages, their legs tangled together. Her lips were red and puffy from all the touches and she purred in satisfaction as she felt his fingers start to wander. He was at her hips, her waist, the curve of her back.

Her kimono had loosened, falling down to expose some of her shoulder and bare arm.

"Hinata," he mumbled, biting her skin.

She gasped, flinching away.

He was quick to apologize. He didn't know what came over him but she hushed him just as fast, biting his lower lip.

God, her eyes. Her eyes, their beauty challenging the moon that shined above them, were half lidded, glazed with desire. For  _him._

It made him  _burn._

He pressed her body against hers, hip to hip, and stifled her moan of surprise with his lips, his hands trailing from her arms to her waist once more. Slowly he inched his fingers higher, past the scar he knew lay beneath this accursed clothing separating them, before gliding his thumb across the tip of the silk that covered her breasts.

She hummed in appreciation, breathily saying his name.

How he wanted to hear more of that.

It was when they uttered those simple words that everything came to a halt.

"I love you, Hinata," Naruto whispered into her neck, pausing from his ministrations for just a second.

She smiled, her fingers running through his soft hair. "I love you t-"

She froze.

"T-" she tried to speak again but her words caught in her throat. "Toneri…"

Quickly she snatched her hands back from his locks, only to use them to push him away. He wasn't easy to move but he shifted so he hovered above her, not liking the loss of contact. He stared at her, confusion written all over his face. She was looking right back, her eyes wide with…  _regret_?  _Guilt_?

"Hinata?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she said, pulling the sleeves of her kimono back up to cover her shoulders. "I shouldn't have done that."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, his eyebrows furrowed together, perplexed.

She brought her soft hands up to his chest again and he moved to hold them but she pushed him farther away, sliding back so she was sitting up.

"Did I do something wrong?" Naruto asked, his eyes boring into hers, worried. The name she uttered didn't go unnoticed by him but he resolutely ignored it.

"No!" she exclaimed quickly, shaking her head. "It's my fault- I shouldn't have-" she was speaking quickly, not meeting his scrutiny.

A weight on her shoulder made her stop talking. Naruto gripped her reassuringly, but kept a distance. He was confused. "What's wrong?"

She clenched her eyes shut tightly, shifting her body so his hand fell limp to the ground. Hinata took a shuddering breath before uttering the next few words that would drive a knife through his heart.

"Naruto…the place we're going to…I'm to live there from now on," she bit her lip. He didn't understand what that had to do with anything. "I'm to live there because I'm to be bound to another there."

Naruto furrowed his brow. "Bound to another…"

She nodded, not meeting his gaze.

"You mean married." It was a statement. His tone was hard, his voice cold. The warmth from the fire and their touches dissipated.

She shivered. "Yes."

He was silent as he stared at the dark haired woman before him. Naruto swallowed. "Why-"

"You made me forget," she whispered. His breath caught in his throat. "I…when I'm with you I'm able to live the way I want to. I don't think about the fact that I'm being given away to a man I don't-"

"So I'm just an emotional crutch for you?" he asked, his liquid blue eyes now darkened like stone.

"No!" she scrambled to her knees. "That's not what I meant-"

"I think I get it," he said, picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it roughly into the water. He laughed harshly. "I should have known. This was only a job after all."

"Naruto-"

He shook his head and made his way to the other side of the fire. She watched as he settled beside Kurama, his back to her.

He was hurt. She knew it.

Hinata pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face down, allowing her hair to create a wall between herself and her samurai  _escort_.

Because he was nothing more than that right?

.

* * *

.

The rest of the short journey was silent. She walked a few paces behind him, his broad shoulders tense. Even Kurama huffed at her the next morning.

She felt terrible.

How could she do something like that to him? She honestly didn't mean to. It wasn't her intention to hurt him but things just happened so quickly and they felt so  _right_.

Every step she took felt heavy. It was so much effort to make herself finish the journey. But she had to. It was her duty. Her responsibility.

She sighed.

The amount they had to walk was short but it felt longer than the rest of their adventure put together.

It felt like ages but finally they reached the town nestled by large mountains. The land around it was littered with small meteors of all different sizes. It really was a beautiful place but she couldn't make herself like it.

This time she took the lead. She was told where to go. It wasn't hard. She simply had to follow the biggest road to the grandest home.

They were quick to arrive. Too quickly in her opinion.

It seemed as though everybody knew she had arrived. Before she even knocked on the door, it flew open and a tall, slim, white haired man stood before her.

He smiled broadly, staring down at her with blue eyes.

She couldn't help but compare them to Naruto's. The orange clad samurai stood behind her, one hand in Kurama's mane. His eyes were trained on the man that opened the door.

"Hinata," Toneri said, opening his arms wide in greeting.

"Toneri," she said, forcing a smile. She took a few steps forward and allowed him to sweep her into his arms. He embraced her tightly, placing his head on her chin.

What she couldn't see was Toneri was looking directly at Naruto, a smirk on his face.

Naruto clenched his teeth and averted his gaze, running his fingers through Kurama's fur.

After a few seconds the white robed man relinquished his grip on Hinata. He kept one arm draped across her shoulders and held her close to his side. "You arrived later than we expected," he said.

"Ah, yes," Hinata said, her voice soft. "Apologies. We had to take some detours."

Toneri nodded and looked at the blonde man. "Thank you for escorting my bride-to-be all the way across the country."

Naruto nodded stiffly.

"I take that there was no trouble?" he asked. Naruto said nothing, his eyes boring into Toneri's. Toneri broke first. He moved his scrutiny down to Hinata, who was looking at Naruto with an unreadable expression. "Oh, I was wrong."

The man shifted and moved a hand up to Hinata's shoulder. Gently he started to move the piece of clothing down.

"Toneri!" Hinata gasped, bringing her fingers up to grasp at her kimono.

Toneri halted. "So sorry, but I see a…a  _bruise_ ," he said stiffly. He turned to look at Naruto, the teasing in his eyes gone, replaced with a tiniest bit of anger. "I assume there was a scuffle?"

"We had to fight a couple bandits here and there," Naruto finally spoke. He had watched Toneri slip off a bit of Hinata's clothing with fury.

"So that's where Hinata received this mark?" Toneri asked, yanking the sleeve down again, revealing a small mark on the crook of her neck.

Hinata flushed, remembering the events of last night.

Naruto felt Kurama bristle beside him. Good. He didn't like this Toneri either.

"That's exactly what happened," Naruto said stiffly. He felt a sick sort of accomplishment at the anger in the other mans voice. He wanted to smirk. He felt a sense of pride bubble inside of him at the thought that  _he_  left that mark on her neck.  _He_  did, and no one else. "She is quite popular," Naruto continued, venom laced in his voice. "She is kind to everyone that she meets. I've had to fight many men to get her here today," Naruto said, knowing  _he_  was one of those men. Walking the rest of the way from their last encampment to this town was a struggle. His body and mind urged him to turn around. To take her far away from this place. To keep her with  _him_. "Careful that she doesn't get stolen from your fingers."

Toneri's gaze was unwavering. He nodded slowly. "Well, then I thank you," he said, tightening his hold on Hinata, all the while keeping eye contact with the other man.

That move wasn't for Toneri. It was to rile up Naruto, and he knew it.

Hinata saw Naruto's jaw twitch.

"Anyway," Toneri exclaimed, breaking through the tension. "It would be rude of me to not invite you to our wedding. Which should be coming up real soon, now that you've finally arrived." Hinata whispered an apology but Toneri just shook his head. "No worries. I have no complaints waiting for a bride as beautiful as you." Hinata couldn't help but blush. Naruto scoffed.

"I'm not sure it would be proper-" Hinata started to say.

"Nonsense!" Toneri said. "This young man took his time to escort you all the way here, he must stay for our wedding." Toneri turned to look at Naruto, smiling maliciously. "What do you say?"

Naruto wanted to say no. He didn't want to give this man the satisfaction of humiliating him. Of flaunting what he couldn't have. But mostly he wanted to say no because he wasn't sure if he would be able to  _watch_  Hinata marry another man.

But that was also the very reason he said yes.

"Then it's settled," Toneri said. "We have a guest house out back that you are welcome to stay at. Please feel free." He indicated that Naruto make his way there as he turned into the house, Hinata held at his side. "I trust I'll see you later. For now, I want to get more closely acquainted with my betrothed."

The door shut behind them and Naruto's hands curled.

Kurama hissed and nipped at his side.

"Sorry," Naruto said. He hadn't realized he was pulling at his fur. He sighed. "Kurama, I don't know what to do."

The fox nuzzled at his palm and then pointed his snout towards the door. He growled.

Naruto chuckled. "I thought about that," he said. "But I don't think Hinata would appreciate if I killed her  _fiancé_."

The word felt like acid in his mouth.

.

* * *

.

The next few weeks went by in a blur. She spent her days helping to prepare for her wedding and he spent most of his time outside of the town training. It was the only way he could get his mind off of what was going on. He hated seeing Toneri. The man would give him a knowing smile, daring him to try something. Anything.

It was on a whim that he snuck into her bedroom the night before her wedding.

It was quite a feat. The grounds were teeming with people, dignitaries, nobles, samurais, from all around but he had to do it. In fact his friend Shikamaru was there. He could immediately tell something was off.

"You're a strong samurai but you can't even handle a broken heart," he had said. "Now I know your weakness."

He had to talk to her before she slipped out of his fingers for good.

He did not like the scene he had almost walked in on.

Toneri was bidding Hinata good night at her door and had leaned in to, what Naruto assumed, kiss her. Hinata had stepped back and apologized in a quiet whisper.

"Waiting until our wedding night?" Toneri teased lightly.

She laughed softly but Naruto could tell it was forced. But still. He didn't like it one bit.

If all this actually  _did_ happen…if she did marry Toneri…the man certainly would have the chance to steal kisses from Hinata. They would have a marriage bed (that Naruto wished would always stay cold). She would bare  _Toneri's_  children.

Hinata shut the door as he left and leaned against it with a sigh. Ever since she had gotten here the days felt long and tiring.

She had untied her obi and started to slip off her kimono when Naruto revealed himself by tapping her shoulder.

How times have changed.

"Oh my-" Hinata gasped, surprised at herself for not noticing he was there. "Naruto-kun!" she whispered furiously, looking over her shoulder to the closed door to see if anyone heard her shocked cry. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to talk to you," Naruto said, approaching her.

"You shouldn't be in here," she said, staring at him sadly, feeling oddly unabashed at her state of half undress.

"And  _you_  shouldn't be doing this," he retorted, but she could hear a slight banter in his voice.

She gave him a small smile. "I have to. It's my duty."

Naruto frowned. "Did you know a samurai's marriage is arranged by someone with the same or higher rank than those marrying?"

"Naruto…"

"I can talk to your father-"

"Naruto!" Hinata held a finger to his lip, a blush gracing her cheeks. She was flattered. "You…you want to marry me?"

He took her hand from his face and caressed them with a chuckle. "Of course. I love you."

Hinata felt her heartbeat race and emotion cloud her mind. "I…we can't-"

"Tell me you don't love me," Naruto said. "Tell me all the time we spent together was pointless. That you didn't start to feel for me the way I started to feel for you. The way we were able to talk and laugh and walk the lands together with hardly a worry. Tell me that the thought of a future together didn't even cross your mind-"

"Stop." The words he spoke rang with truth but she couldn't have him do this. She couldn't crumble. "S-stop…"

Naruto held her hand tighter. How could he get through to her? He brought her fingers up to his chest and pressed them against himself. She started to pull away but he held firm. "What do you feel?"

She swallowed, averting her gaze. She could feel his heartbeat. It was fast. Just like hers.

"It's beating for you," he said.

She shut her eyes and tore her hand away, trembling. Her kimono drooped off her shoulders and he noticed the mark he left on her had disappeared.

"Hinata." She refused to open her eyes. She heard him sigh and felt him move closer. She felt his calloused fingers on her cheek, turning her head so it was angled to look at him, but still she kept her eyes closed. Slowly he trailed his fingers down to her chin…to her neck… Her breath hitched just the slightest as he slipped his hand under the hem of her kimono, stopping it right above her left breast. "I feel it," he said softly, his lips brushing against her ears. "Your heart's beating fast too."

She didn't move but she felt a blush cover her body.

"It's beating quickly," he said again, pulling his head back. "Am I scaring you?"

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him incredulously. "No!"

He smiled. "I didn't think so," he said, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

His palm was still pressed her skin and she wanted nothing more but to close the distance between them but there was a little voice in her head telling her to do so would be wrong. That she was supposed to marry another man.

But her heart was telling her marrying  _that_  man would be wrong.

"Naruto…"

He could hear the resistance in her words. "I don't know why you don't want to be with someone you love-"

"I love my family," Hinata said boldly. "And this is what they want me to do. I'll do what they want so they could be happy."

This time it was Naruto's turn to smile at her sadly. "What about  _your_ happiness? Don't you owe it to yourself to be happy? And you had said you loved me. Don't you want to make  _me_  happy?"

Hinata felt tears gathering in her eyes. "That's not fair," she whispered.

Naruto shook his head. "You're right. I'm sorry." He took a shuddering breath and Hinata was surprised to see he was blinking back tears as well.

Naruto felt as though he were losing her. The past few weeks seemed like a nightmare…it was surreal. But it didn't feel like it was  _really_  happening. You could wake up from a nightmare.

But this…this was happening.

She was slipping out of his grasp.

"There's a reason you picked  _me_  to escort you here when I'm sure there were plenty of other capable men to do the same job," Naruto whispered, staring at the ceiling, blinking rapidly. "And I have an inkling your family would want you to do what makes  _you_  happy…and if marrying Toneri is what you want, I would never force you to do otherwise."

"Naruto-"

"Why did you pick me that day?" Naruto asked, forcing himself to look at her. "We didn't know each other that well yet-"

"Because, like you, I too remembered that boy I met so long ago whenever I found myself in any sort of trouble," Hinata interrupted. "I remember the boy that I watched train and train. That fell and got right back up. I remember the boy whose smile  _saved_  me." She took his hand in hers. "Encouraged me to work just as hard."

He looked at her, his eyes sad.

"You're right," she whispered. "I do love you-" he looked as though he were going to cut in. "-but I am still engaged to Toneri-"

"I can easily fix that," Naruto said seriously, gripping the hilt of his katana.

Hinata almost laughed. She shook her head at his antics and finally closed the distance between them, placing her head on his chest. "I'll talk to my father," she whispered, shutting her eyes as she listened to the steady beat of his heart.

Naruto wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "Thank you," he said, kissing the top of her head.

They stood there for a little while before Naruto stared to chuckle.

She looked up. "What?"

"Remind me to get you some new clothes," he said.

"Why?"

"I don't know, it always seems like these silk kimonos are always slipping right off you." She blushed furiously, pushing away from him and pulling her robes tighter around herself. He laughed, gathering her in his arms again. "I'm just kidding."

She huffed but settled back in.

"A little…"

"Naruto!"

His embrace was tight and he chuckled, kissing her forehead. Again, silence overtook them as they listened to the people celebrating outside for the event that was to supposedly take place the next day.

"And if your father says no?" Naruto finally said with worry laced in his voice.

She looked up at him, a fire burning in her eyes, extinguishing his doubt.

She spoke three words, and they weren't  _I love you_ , because that fact was known, even unsaid.

No, the words she said were simple but they spoke in volume at how absolutely dedicated they were to one another. How much of an impact their journey traveling the lands together really had on their lives.

She kissed him fiercely, her body molded to his, her hands clenched at his chest.

"And if your father says no?" he repeated.

"Then we  _run_."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do they run? Does Hiashi agree with the arrangement? Does Kurama get to sink his teeth into Toneri? Honestly, it doesn't matter too much, but I'm sure you know they end up together.
> 
> Naruto's outfit was totally inspired by Shippuden ending 6. (Slipping that little fact in in case anyone wants to do some type of drawing based on this. ;) I'd like to publicly thank jollyarts on tumblr for drawing the Naruto and Hinata I imagined in my fantasy/LotR AU. Beautiful stuff!)
> 
> Anyway, please leave a review and I hope you enjoyed the read.
> 
> -Magma


	10. One-Shot 8: Gangster AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This world is an endless cycle of destruction, no matter how hard you try to stop it and sometimes the innocent get involved in the crossfire.

No one messes with his family.

Correction.

No one messes with  _their_  family.

.

* * *

.

"Boruto, pick up your toys!" Naruto shouted as he tiptoed over the various items scattered throughout the hallway. His young son came running in, jumping past his toys and rammed into his fathers feet.

"Gotchu, daddy!" he exclaimed, wrapping his little arms and legs around his fathers calf.

Naruto laughed. "Oh no! How am I to walk now?" Boruto buried his face into his pant leg and giggled. Naruto shuffled around a little bit before the child lost his grip and fell to the ground with a plop. Naruto smirked at his son and pointed at the toys. Boruto gave him an oh-so-innocent smile before gathering up his playthings.

Naruto watched his son for a few seconds before continuing down the grand hallway until he reached the nursery. The walls were decorated with countless photographs. The smiling faces of his friends and families blessed the house he lived in. The door was already open and he leaned against the frame, taking in the view with a tender smile. Hinata was rocking their newborn daughter in her arms, whispering tender words into her ear. She kissed Himawari on the forehead before gently settling her into her crib.

"Is anything wrong, Naruto?" Hinata asked quietly before turning to face him.

He smiled. No matter how quiet he thought he was, she always had a knack for sensing his presence. He approached her, enveloping her in his arms, her body molding seamlessly against his, tucking her head beneath his chin.

"No, everything's absolutely perfect," he whispered in her ear, careful not to wake their sleeping baby, while running his hands up and down her arms.

Only close friends and his family got to see this side of Naruto. The real, laughing, smiling, and loving kind. The rest of the underground world, figuratively, only saw him with a gun in his hand, his face set in a grim line. He couldn't show rival gangs any weaknesses.

Too bad they had learned long ago that Naruto's weakness was his family. Before they had children, his vulnerability was Hinata.

.

* * *

.

They had grown up together. Konoha was a large city, littered with different families, all intertwined in a vast underground network. Mobsters, gang members, drug dealers, etc. Several families were publically united. They worked well together, helped each other, and supported one another. In fact, members of other cities would say Konoha had not several gang families, but just one extended one.

Most of the friends he went to school with had family members involved in the secretive businesses that shadowed the world they lived in. As many of the others, he grew up to follow their footsteps. Because of this involvement and interaction between so many children of different gangs, Konoha grew to become more united.

These kids were taught at a very young age how to fight, use a gun, and take what they wanted.

Naruto regrets that he learned of Hinata's affections during a gang war.

It had surprised him because as far as he knew she wasn't involved in the underhanded dealings that many of his family, friends, and acquaintances had to deal with. There were other Hyuga's in her family that dealt with that nonsense. She was innocent, in a sense of the word. That's not to say she was weak. Hell no. Her father made sure she was trained. She learned how to fight at a very young age, perhaps even earlier than he did, simply for the purpose of defending herself. Being the daughter of one of the great mobs came with problems. She was often a target for ransom or to use in ways to threaten the Hyuga clan.

And unfortunately nothing changed after he started to court her.

He doesn't like to admit it but he really only started to actively pursue her affections when she was taken away from him.

Before he confessed his feelings to her (and to himself) he knew he felt  _some_ thing for her he just couldn't place  _what_. He was always fascinated with the underground world as a kid and he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to lead and help Konoha  _really_  unite.

She helped him even if they both didn't know.

People say  _he's_  good at talking and changing peoples attitudes but she was equally as good at changing his. He really enjoyed talking to her, even back when they were younger and he always thought she was sick because she was always turning red.

His friend Sakura would shake her head and call him an idiot.

Whatever, he was only twelve and the only thing that he knew for a  _fact_ was that Hinata was consistently there for him even when he didn't vocally ask for help.

Naruto will always regret not talking to Hinata after she got  _shot_  for him.

A menacing gang had declared war on Konoha and he was at the mercy of their leader, sprawled on the ground, injured and weak. The orange haired man held a gun aimed at his head when  _Hinata_  of all people came running in.

 _Hinata_.

She wasn't even supposed to be involved with this stupid stuff! She wasn't supposed to be tainted by this!

She wasn't supposed to be standing in-between himself and what could be  _death_.

He struggled. He struggled so hard to get up but he  _couldn't_.

The gang leader was so surprised he let her speak her last words.

Naruto couldn't believe what they were.

"I love you, Naruto."

She fought the best she could, but the other man was just toying with her. She wasn't armed, but he allowed her to try and fight hand to hand. It was only later,  _much_  later that Naruto stopped to think about how amazing she fought. She was able to get a hit in.

But it wasn't enough.

The sound of the gun firing rung in his ears, deafening him.

The sight of her blood blinded him.

The rest of that battle was a blur. Selective memory. He only remembered thinking she was dead. Gone. He'd never see her smile again, never see her face go red, never be able to talk to her.

She was  _gone_.

He cried when he later learned she was going to be just fine.

Still he didn't know what those growing feelings meant.

That war with Pein was just the beginning. It only marked the start of a bigger one that took place not much time after Hinata's confession. And once more, Hinata found herself between himself and certain death. Once more she brought him back from the depths of hell.

It was years later that he would be screaming his throat raw, trying to get her back.

There was another kidnap attempt, from some Otsutsuki gang or something. He didn't really care. All he knew was Hinata was upset.

They took her sister and were asking for ransom.

Not money though.

Hinata's hand in marriage.

Like, what the fuck?  _Really?_

Naruto was outraged.

Hinata agreed.

Now, Naruto was  _really_  mad.

He had finally come to realize his feelings only to have her  _leave_. But he wouldn't have it. He was going to help save her sister anyway but now he had another incentive as well. (Shh, don't tell anyone, but at first when Hinata walked into the arms of the other man Naruto gave up. He was heart broken. He didn't want to do anything. It was only when his friends talked sense into him when he realized he couldn't let her go that easily. She was too precious to him).

So eventually with the help of a couple of his closest friends, including Hinata (who, at the time, thought they were just helping to deliver her to her new husband) they took out the entire Otsutsuki freaking gang.

Naruto even accidently let slip the fact that he was in love with Hinata.

She was certainly flattered but in her mind she had to save her sister. Even though she loved Naruto since she was a young girl, her sister came first. By marrying this man there would be a sort of union between the Hyuga's and his family.

Naruto had other plans. He beat the shit out of the man asking for ransom (Hinata helped herself once she realized their plan and how much of a chance they actually had at succeeding).

After the battle, Naruto held her precious weight in his arms, savoring it, cherishing it. Her face was close. His heart was beating rapidly, both from the adrenaline of the recent fight, and the fact that he just really wanted to kiss her. Her eyes had fluttered shut in anticipation and he did it.

He kissed her. And it was fucking  _great_.

His friends cheered. Everyone was just waiting for the time Naruto and Hinata got together. It was a bit later, on their way home, that Naruto realized what he had just done to her.

Along with being a target against those who wanted something from the Hyuga's she also became  _his_  weakness.

Damn. His family was pretty much dead. Died in a mob war long time ago. He learned he had a godfather, he had a teacher that was like a father to him, and many close friends, but honestly, he didn't have too many people that could be used against him.

Until Hinata came along.

.

* * *

.

He had lived in a pretty nice house. Nowhere near as nice as his current one, but it wasn't too bad. He'd see people hidden away in the shadows as he strolled through the city. Watching. Observing. Trying to find a chink in his armor.

He should have known they would have seen him bringing home a woman.

The crack in his shield.

Leverage to be used against him.

She was used to being kidnapped.

The first time was when she was very young. She couldn't fight her way out of that one. Lives were lost. Her uncle was one of them.

But that was long ago. There were many more attempts to get something from the Hyuga but never had Naruto had someone threatened because of  _him_.

There was one time, a few months after they had started dating, when someone had swiped her right from his  _house_. God, was he irate.

To make it even worse the night before he had promised to never leave her side, and she did the same.

He had come home a few days earlier than she expected from some mission (whose details he didn't particularly want to share with her but did eventually, at her insistence).

She was concerned, making him promise he would come back safely. But it was a dangerous one and they both knew it, so the fact that he came home  _early_  and (mostly) unharmed, she was ecstatic.

Well, at first she was a bit scared.

He came home in the middle of the night.

She had woken up with a start, feeling a shift in the air. Her hand reached for a gun they had hidden by their bed but he said her name, alleviating her of her worries. She was at his side in an instant, asking if he was okay. He had been gone for over a month and it was the absolute worst.

His right arm was bandaged and she touched it tenderly, frowning.

"What happened?" she asked. He shook his head, his free hand coming up to cup her cheek. "And don't say it was nothing."

Naruto chuckled. "It's not too bad," he said. "You can still see my fox tattoo just fine." She nodded, tracing her finger against the un-bandaged left arm. His upper half was covered in a large tattoo of a fox with nine tails. Normally he would be donning a jacket and before they started dating she'd only get brief glimpses of orange and red marked on his skin. The first time she saw his chest completely bare he was nervous. He wasn't sure what she would think. Her skin was practically untarnished.

But she loved it.

He had named it Kurama, more for fun than anything else. He also had strange birthmarks on his face, three lines across each cheek. Those he couldn't really hide and he was teased quite often as a kid but she made it her duty to compliment him and kiss those whiskers whenever she could.

He allowed her to examine his body, checking for any injuries he didn't tell her about. She removed his coat, then his shirt, running her fingers lightly down his skin, just barely brushing against him. His muscles tightened under her touch as she skimmed the top of his pants.

He could feel her breath on his neck as she placed butterfly kisses up his jaw.

"I missed you," she whispered in his ear as her hand worked on unbuckling his belt.

"Hinata-" he made to grab her but she playfully slapped his hand away.

"No, let me," she said, her face graced with the lightest pink.

Normally he would take charge. She was always quite passive and her shy personality sometimes found its way into their bed, not that he minded. He actually enjoyed the sense of masculinity he felt, and the alpha male persona he donned while making love to her. The fact that he was the only one able to touch her like that, able to make her eyes light up, her skin glisten with sweat, her body tense. That his name was the only name she'd gasp in his ears.

But sometimes she'd surprise him.

Hinata didn't know what lay under those bandages or all the work he must have done those days he was gone but she didn't want Naruto to have to exert any more effort than he had to.

He  _wanted_  to though, but he let her do as she pleased for now.

The kisses they shared were soft and tender but by no means lacking passion. Her light touches were enough to make his blood boil and skin tingle in anticipation.

His pants dropped to the floor and she quietly asked him to step out of them. He did, almost eagerly.

She leaned against him, her breasts (still covered in the pretty little nightdress he was cursing at the moment) pressing against his hard chest. She tiptoed and kissed him once more, diverting his attention from the cold air that nipped at his bare legs.

Her tongue did its job well. He almost jumped when he felt her small hand wrap around the front of his boxer briefs, teasing him.

"Hinata…" he groaned her name, his head lolling back as she worked off the last remaining article of clothing from his body.

She said nothing, instead kissing a trail down from his mouth to his chest, her fingers working wonders down below. For a while she simply pumped with one hand, the other grazing against his skin, her mouth everywhere but on his own.

Then she continued on her path, kissing his stomach, past his bellybutton, before lightly kissing the tip of his cock.

"Fu-uck-" Naruto gasped as his girlfriend crouched down, her mouth enclosed around him. "Hina-"

He couldn't think straight. He could only feel pleasure and his only thought was that his quiet, loving Hinata was doing  _this_  to him. His hips bucked instinctively as her hands continued to move against him. He looked down, wanted to ingrain this image into his mind forever but as his hand moved on its own to press her head further down onto him he forced himself to stop.

Sure he hadn't seen Hinata in so long but  _she_  hadn't seen him either.

He forced himself away from her and she gasped, releasing him with a pop, surprised at the sudden movement.

"Naruto?" she asked, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

He stood above her, his shoulders looking broader than ever, his fox tattoo menacing. "Hinata, go to the bed," he ordered.

Hinata felt her blood burn at his sudden change in demeanor. His voice was deep, his eyes dark. Her body quivered as she followed his instructions. When she turned to face him he hooked his arms around the back of her knees, pulling her close. Her back hit the bed and he roughly pushed up her nightdress, bunching it up at her waist.

It was when he slipped off her simple underwear did she put together what he meant to do.

"Na-naruto," she stuttered, leaning up enough to push his head away from between her legs. He looked at her, head cocked to the side. She blushed at his stare. "I wanted to pleasure you tonight."

He smiled at her, moving closer to kiss her. "That's no fair," he said, his voice husky, his finger working against her. Her breath hitched and she tried to keep her mind from clouding, her eyes half lidded in ecstasy.

He kept this up for a while, sawing in and out of her, watching her expressions change. It was when he started to prod at her with another finger did she gasp and push him away just the slightest.

She stared into his eyes, her own glazed with lust. "Okay," she said, grabbing at the hem of her nightdress and pulling it off completely. His eyes traced the blush that covered her body, his head moving on its own to close his mouth over her naked breasts.

But she stopped him, one hand cupping his cheek.

He almost whined. He didn't understand why she wasn't letting him touch her the way he knew she liked.

"I…I don't want to wait, Naruto," she whispered, her face red.

His look of surprise changed to a teasing smirk. "Is that right?" he asked, pushing her down into the bed once more as he hooked her legs around him, his knees sinking into the mattress. "I might not be able to last long tonight," he said with a chuckle. "Not after what you were doing before."

She blushed, running her fingers along his abdomen. "That's okay," she said. "Right now I just want to feel you." He could sense a hint of something like worry in her voice. She saw his questioning look and averted her gaze, pressing her cheek into the pillow. "I'm glad you came back mostly unharmed," she said. "But…"

So she  _was_  troubled. He knew she would be. She knew his "missions" were fraught with danger and violence.

"If you're worried about my arm," he said, leaning forward to caress her face. "Even if the entire thing blew up, I'd find my way back to you. I'm never leaving your side."

She looked at him, her eyes fierce. "Don't say something like that," she said. "Do you know how-" she sighed. "I never want to leave your side either so…" she trailed off. "Take me with you next time."

Naruto frowned. " _No_." He was firm. From his tone she could tell this was a conversation he did not want to have, and she had tried convincing him plenty of times before.

She unhooked her legs from his waist and allowed them to fall lazily against the blankets. "Why not?" she asked. "I can fight. I'm good at negotiating. I could be a helpful asset."

"Damn it, Hinata!" he exclaimed, pressing his body flat against hers, his face centimeters away from her. Contrary to his outburst, his face was masked with emotion and she trembled from the intensity of it. "I'm not going to let you walk into trouble like that. If you think I'd let you get hurt-"

"I don't think that, I just-"

"You know the things that go on during these missions," he continued. "People don't always come back-"

"Then how is it fair that  _you_  go?"

He stared at her, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes. Ignoring that question he continued. "Hinata…my worst fear is someone taking you away from me," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

She closed the little distance between them and kissed him tenderly. "Mine is someone taking  _you_  from  _me_."

He buried his face in her neck and she clung to him, running her fingers along his back.

Finally he looked back up at her. "These other men…those monsters…they can do a lot worse than kill you," he said, his voice shaking. She swallowed and froze at his heated look. His eyes were angry, but not at her, at the thought of these enemy gang members touching…hurting what was his. "So tell me, Hinata…what's your second worst fear right now?"

She exhaled slowly and moved her legs up to his waist again. He moved on an instinct, sitting up slightly and grabbing at her hips. She reached down; her eyes still trained on his, and wrapped her fingers around his member once more. She noticed the muscles around his stomach tense and his jaw twitch. After pumping a few times she prodded at her opening below, raising her hips so just his tip slipped inside of her. They both closed their eyes and hissed sharply.

Naruto grabbed her hand and pressed it above her head, his eyes drilling into hers once more.

"Tell me, Hinata."

Her hip rose a bit more, her muscles pulsating around some of him, and it took all his self-control to simply not move. To not push their bodies completely together.

" _Tell me_."

"Someone else touching me like this," she gasped. "Someone other than you…" she couldn't continue. She dropped her hips, separating the two and turned her head into the pillow once more, her free hand covering her face.

"That's why," he said softly, gently prying her hand away so he could see her. She looked at him, her eyes glistening. "I love you too much to bring you into those types of situations." He glowered at the thought. He knew this conversation wasn't quite over but for now it was. They would find a compromise at a later time.

"I love you," she whispered. She knew the darkness that made its way into his expression was because of some horrible thoughts he probably conjured up. This reunion didn't go quite the way she expected. "I love you so much."

"Hold on to the headboard," he said deeply and she felt a shiver run through her body. She did, moving her arms up behind her head and wrapping her fingers around rails as he sat back up, pulling her towards him again.

Naruto's arms flexed, making it look like the tattooed tails of the fox demon were dancing. His fingers dug into her thighs and he whispered his feelings aloud, so quietly she had to strain to hear but she knew what he felt.

She gasped when he pushed into her, moving quickly, roughly.

Tonight was one of those nights. The nights where he was worried she would leave him. Where he felt as though if he didn't hold on to her tight enough she would slip from his grasp like a dream. A dream that you knew was wonderful but no matter how hard you try to remember it still finds a way to trickle away. He pounded into her, sharing all his doubts and insecurities and she accepted with pleasure, eventually moving her fingers to his back, scratching against his flesh, leaving lines that matched his whiskered cheeks.

He fucked her into oblivion, pressed so tightly against her she thought the ink from his skin would sear into her. Every cell in her body felt like they were being set ablaze, the heat warming her heart. She loved him with ever fiber of her being and he did the same, whispering words of love in-between breathily gasps of her name.

They were on fire and neither wanted to extinguish the flames.

.

* * *

.

He had kissed her goodbye, resisting the urge to slip back into bed. He had to deal with some things down at the warehouse. She had asked if he wanted breakfast or something. He refused; there was no time to waste.

He wished he stayed.

She got out of that first incident perfectly fine but he still wished he was there so she didn't have to go through it at all.

He came home and the house was in chaos.

Broken windows, and chairs. Blood splattered on the walls. A few corpses with shots in their heads. Thankfully none of them were her. He followed the path. Apparently she was preparing him his favorite lunch when the first stream of people broke into his home. Judging from the dead guy near the kitchen entrance, she had thrown her knife at him, her aim deadly precise. He did feel a bloom of satisfaction.

He tensed, following what he assumed was the path she took.

Threw the pot of hot water at someone…there was now a puddle on the floor. The knife rack sat empty, few embedded into the wall. There were bullet holes where he assumed she stood. Naruto curled his fist. There was blood on the floor but he dared to believe it wasn't hers…not yet.

He continued on to the living room and checked a hidden drawer in his bookshelf. Empty. She had made it to the gun. He allowed himself a small smile. Ah, those guys must have been surprised.

A sweet, petite, woman, throwing knives and shooting a deadly firearm? He was sure they weren't quite as prepared as they should have been. He chuckled. Underestimating her.

There were few bodies in the living room, clean bullet wounds in the center of their foreheads. He would be the first to admit that her precision was  _much_  more refined than his. He may have been stronger in other ways, but she was clean. She would easily have made a good boss but he liked her better not as one.

The back of the couch was peppered with holes. She must have hid behind it, throwing careful shots back at the intruders.

He frowned. There were drops of blood back here. No doubt she got hit. He hoped it was only a scrape. He followed the drops into their bedroom. The door was already ajar, smashed open, some splinters lay on the ground.

His heart stopped.

There was a small pool of blood on the middle of the bed, the pillows thrown asunder, the table lamp knocked onto the ground. There was certainly a struggle.

He stepped over one last corpse and snatched up a piece of paper lying on the center of the bed.

The more he read the angrier he got.

How  _dare_  they threaten Hinata to get to him?

Blood would definitely be shed.

He ignored the demands listed. This was the same group he thought he dealt with the previous mission. Nothing he couldn't handle. They knew who they were dealing with but they had no idea the creature they released. They were threatening the animals mate and he wouldn't allow them to get away with that.

He loaded up his guns, strapped on a knife, and called one of his old teachers, Kakashi. He was known as Konoha's leader. He kept the inner gangs of the city together and organized. Naruto let him know what had happened. By taking Hinata they not only threated Naruto, but they threatened the Hyugas, the Inuzukas, the Aburames, and pretty much anyone else who cared for the woman.

Kakashi ordered him to wait. He would send help.

But, fuck that. Naruto was on his way.

.

* * *

.

He arrived at the destination indicated on the letter quickly. He knew he was walking into a trap, that much was obvious but he couldn't bring himself to care. He walked in, back straight, both hands holding guns. He let out shot after shot, hitting the men in the heads, their chests, legs.

It was a bloodbath.

Naruto wasn't going to lie. He was relieved when backup arrived. A couple of his friends including Kiba, his trained dog Akamaru, and Shino arrived just when Naruto thought the other gang members were going to overtake him.

They told him they would handle those thugs and so he ventured on deeper into the hideout in search of Hinata. His jacket was in tatters and he was pretty sure several bullets grazed his skin but he was so pumped full of adrenaline that he hardly felt a thing. His mind was trained on one thing and one thing only.

He had to get Hinata.

And he did.

It took a while, plenty of dead enemies, but he finally found her in a room with one other man. By then Naruto had run out of bullets but he gladly used his fists. His knuckles bled and the other mans red blood soaked his arms, making his tattooed beast look more vicious than ever, as he punched him over and over and over again, yelling out obscenities, cursing him for trying to use Hinata against him.

He felt soft hands on his shoulders and he froze. The man was dead long ago but seeing the red that soaked Hinata's clothes brought him to a cold fury.

"Naruto…" she said softly, pulling him away from the corpse.

He turned slowly, running his eyes down her entire form. "What did they do to you?" he asked, wiping his hands on his clothes before bringing them up to cup her cheek.

"Nothing, I'm okay," she said, checking his injuries. "You're hurt."

"So are you."

She smiled tenderly. "I'm  _okay_."

"There was blood all over the bed," he croaked out, his eyes shimmering.

Hinata raised her eyebrows. "Oh, that's where they cut me on my shoulder," she said, pulling down the edge of her jacket. "It's not deep."

He fingered the holes in her coat. "They shot you?"

"Just grazed," she said. "Like you."

Naruto swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said, dropping his forehead into the crook of her shoulder. "I'm so sorry-"

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly.

"They took you to get back at  _me_ ," he said, grabbing her waist tightly. "You could have  _died_."

"They wanted me alive," she whispered. "It wasn't just luck that their shots missed."

"Could have been skill," he chuckled, pulling her tight. He inhaled deeply. "Doesn't change the fact you were targeted because of me."

"I'm used to-"

"I don't want you to be used to it," he said, kissing the contour of her jaw. "I-I don't want to be the reason you die…"

"Naruto?"

"Maybe you'd be safer without me."

There was silence between the two.

She pushed him away.

"How could you say something like that?" she whispered angrily. Just last night they had told each other they wanted to be by each other's side forever.

"Hinata, you know the life I lead-"

"I was raised in that type of life," she said, staring up into his eyes. "I know perfectly well what…who I was getting myself involved with."

"Hinata-"

"You can't help who you love, Naruto," she continued. "And I'd more than willingly die for you-"

"Don't say that."

"I mean it," she said. "I'd die-"

He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to his chest, shutting her up by covering her lips with his. The kiss was desperate and fierce. Fear of almost losing her fueled the fire that ignited between the two.

They broke apart breathing heavily. "Fine," he said, biting her lip. "Fine, if you're so willing to lay down your life for me guess I'll have to stick around to protect you."

"You'll  _have_ to, huh?" she teased, laying her head against his chest.

He sighed, pretending this took a lot of effort. "Yeah, I guess I just have to spend the rest of my life with you."

She blushed and they only broke apart when their friends came streaming into the room, guns raised and ready to help them if they needed it.

.

* * *

.

It wasn't too long after that incident did Naruto officially ask Hinata to be his wife. And it certainly wasn't long after  _that_  did they have Boruto. And then Himawari.

The years went by fast.

Himawari ran around her legs as Hinata tried to prepare dinner. She remembered years ago when the little girl was only just a baby and could hardly move on her own. One of the first times she had to breastfeed their child, Naruto watched curiously, his mouth a small circle, his eyes wide. He had chuckled to himself saying papa liked to play with them too. She had blushed and smacked him away. Now Himawari was grown. She was laughing, yelling, and talking just as fast as her older brother.

Boruto was out in the backyard playing with a toy gun.

Hinata shook her head as she watched her son through the window in the kitchen. Their kids didn't really know the dark antics that their father and Hinata's family were involved in. It was definitely no secret that gangs ran rampant in Konoha though, but the Uzumaki children didn't yet know the rank that their father stood on, and in turn, themselves.

As soon as Boruto was born there were several attempts at kidnapping him. The would be captors were looking forward to gaining a large sum of ransom money but both Naruto and Hinata did their best protecting their first child. But after those few attempts Hinata was wary about bringing another child into their world. It took a bit of self-convincing but her love for Boruto was uncontainable and having another child with Naruto was a beautiful thought that continually prodded at her mind.

The animosity between gangs seemed to die down for a while after Himawari was born. Naruto, along with some of his friends and acquaintances, had long ago started to take out most of the gangs that threatened Konoha. He had more to protect than he ever had before with their growing family.

So for a while it was quiet.

That morning Naruto had kissed his wife good bye like he normally did, ruffling his children's hair and promising them he'd be back as soon as he could. But his job was a tough one. He normally wouldn't return home until the dead of the night because, well, he fought the shadows and when better to attack than sundown?

"Say goodbye to your father," Hinata said, waving from the doorway.

Boruto crossed his eight-year-old little arms but Naruto heard a quiet farewell from the kid.

Himawari's was less concealed. The child jumped onto his leg, reminding him of the times Boruto would do the same, exclaiming dramatically that she would miss him and think about him every hour of the day.

"Only every hour?" Naruto teased, prying her off gently and placing her in her mothers arm.

"Yeah," she nodded furiously. "Every hour except snack time."

Naruto laughed at that, kissing her on the nose. He waved to his family from the car before heading down the long driveway off to work.

That morning he didn't expect that would be the last time he would see his kids before he had to  _fight_  to get them back.

.

* * *

.

"Boruto, what do you think about watching a movie tonight?" Hinata asked her son as she wiped the counter.

Boruto looked up at her from the island in the kitchen. "But it's almost time for bed."

Hinata laughed lightly as she leaned over the sink to shut and lock the window. She waved at one of their patrollers on the ground off in the distance before tugging the blinds shut.

"Mm, but it's also a Friday," she said. "And mom has nothing to do." She turned to face him and sighed deeply. "Well, if you don't want to spend time with your mother…"

"No, I do!" Boruto yelped, slipping off his seat and scrambling across the kitchen tiles. "Wait, I'll go get Hima!"

Hinata smiled as she heard her son yelling Himawari's name as he ran through the halls. After her kidnap those years ago Naruto had decided it was time to invest in another house. It was much too big for two people but he had grinned, asking her if they wanted to fill up the rest of the space with their kids. She had blushed but bantered back, telling him they would have to or else the place would feel awfully lonely.

Hinata continued her rounds around the house, locking doors, shutting windows, and she heard Himawari's delightful laugh from somewhere upstairs as her brother told her the good news. She looked forward to these quiet nights that she spent curled up in her large bed with her too kids snuggled against her, watching some heartwarming animated film.

The last thing she did before climbing up the stairs was check to make sure the security alarm was set. Naruto was taking no chances after that incident. He had hired a few guards (even the Hyuga's insisted he do so) and installed an alarm that would send an alert to his phone as well as contact the police if it went off.

But just as they finished off their bowl of popcorn and became engrossed in the movie all the lights flickered off.

"Mommy?" Himawari gasped, clutching at Hinata's arm.

Hinata pursed her lips. She was concerned but this could easily be a power outage. Nothing strange  _had_  to have been the cause.

"Himawari, honey," Hinata said softly, picking her up and placing her next to Boruto. "Stay with your brother, okay?"

"It's so dark, mom," Boruto said, his voice unusually muted.

Hinata navigated easily through her room and peeked through the blinds. The moon was shining bright today and illuminated the flowery grounds below. All seemed well. She pulled at the cords and allowed the moonlight to stream inside, lighting up her children's scared faces.

She walked back over to them after quickly rummaging in one of the dresser drawers. She had slipped a small, cold, metal revolver into her hand, hiding it from her children, just in case. In the other she held a flashlight.

"Here, Hima," Hinata said, handing her young daughter the source of light. "You're going to be our sunshine right now," she said, tickling the girl.

"What about me, mom?" Boruto asked, holding on tightly to Himawari's hand as she cheerfully waved the beam of light around, watching the shadows dance.

"You're going to protect your little sister, aren't you?" Hinata asked, placing a hand on her hip, careful to keep the gun out of view.

"Oh yeah!" Boruto exclaimed, standing up on the bed. "And I'll protect you too mom!"

Hinata laughed. "I knew you would," she said, poking him in the belly.

She let her children play with the flashlight, creating funny animals on the wall. Hinata grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand and thought about calling Naruto. She didn't want to bother him with something as small as a power outage. The main guard on duty didn't alert them and the security alarm was quiet as well…

She huffed and pressed a few buttons. She'd call the man on duty right now. It wouldn't hurt, would it? Maybe someone could see if they could get the lights working.

She waited for the ringing to start but it didn't.

Hinata swallowed, her throat feeling tight.

Pulling the phone away from the ear she looked at the bright screen, biting her lip. Her eyes glanced over to her laughing children before she looked back down, shifting the screen to her recent calls.

Naruto.

She put the phone back up to her ear and tapped her feet.

"Please pick up, please pick up," she whispered, tapping the weapon against her thigh.

Again no rings. No signal.

Hinata brought the phone down, her hand shaking slightly now. This had never happened before. Something was wrong.

She looked at her children. They were playing in the dark, unaware of the horrors that could be hiding in it, innocent in ways only kids could be.

"Boruto, Himawari," she said, feigning a smile. "Wait here, okay? I'll be back."

"Where ya goin'?" Boruto asked, plopping down onto the bed, looking at her curiously as his sister made shadows on the walls.

"I just have to check something," she said.

"When's daddy comin' home?" Himawari piped up, her expression sad.

Oh no, the short burst of joy the flashlight provided was started to disappear.

"He'll be home soon, honey," Hinata said, with a nod. She had to believe that. "Soon."

She turned and left the room, the darkness swallowing her. The little illumination provided by the flashlight in her bedroom did absolutely nothing for her out here. She turned on the flashlight on her camera, lighting up the grand hallway.

The pictures hanging on the wall had never looked this creepy. The chandeliers on the ceiling never that unnerving.

She just had to get to one of the landlines…if those didn't work…

She shivered.

How is it she didn't hear anything going on outside? No commotion. The alarm didn't go off.

 _It could be just a power outage_ , she repeated in her head.

But the goosebumps on her arms were telling her otherwise.

The walk down the hallway felt never-ending but she saw it. The phone sitting on the small table near the stairs.

She picked up the receiver, praying she'd hear the dial tone.

Silence.

Her heart thudded in her ears as she turned off the phone and turned it back on again. Maybe that would fix it.

She knew it was futile.

The only thing she heard was the faint laughter of her children many rooms away.

She felt cold all over, the light shining from her phone wavered as her hands shook. She put the phone down with a click; doing so directed the light down the stairs, revealing a face.

Hinata gasped, dropping her phone.

If her heart wasn't beating fast before it certainly was now.

Darkness consumed her. Her eyes strained to see. Her phone fell on the side with the camera, dousing the room in black, fear creeping up her neck.

She scrambled to pick up the phone. As soon as she did she pointed the gun down the stairs, holding the phone as steadily as she could above it.

Nothing.

She swallowed, her tongue feeling thick and heavy in her mouth.

Her mouth was so dry but her skin felt clammy.

She waited there for a few seconds, all her senses straining.

She saw nothing and heard nothing.

Wait a minute.

She heard  _nothing._

Her eyes widened.

 _"No_."

Hinata turned and ran, running on instinct as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Why weren't her kids laughing?  _Why weren't they laughing_?

"Boruto!" she yelled, the bedroom she shared with Naruto coming into view. "Himawari!" she was about to turn and run inside when she realized the door was closed.

And locked.

She knocked hard, banging. Right now the thought that that might scare her children slipped her mind.

 _She_  was scared.

"Kids, open the door!" Hinata sobbed, almost in tears. She was trying to keep it together she really was but everything was happening too fast. She just-

"Should we open the door?" a strange voice sounded from inside the room.

Hinata stopped, her fist in the air, her eyes staring unseeingly at the door, her mouth falling open.

"Let me go!" she heard her daughter cry.

"Momma!" Boruto shouted. "Mom-"

"Hima!" Hinata yelled, knocking her fists against the wood, bruising her skin. "Boru!"

"Mommy!" Himawari shouted.

"Let go of my kids you bastard!" Hinata wailed, pressing her forehead against the door. She curled her fingers, scratching at the door, breathing heavily. Her kids continued to call out for her and she felt herself quake.

She could not let this happen.

She took a deep breath and stepped back, aiming her gun at the door handle. With a bang, wood splintered and she pushed the door open, holding up her gun, ready to kill. Her eyes were ablaze as she took in the sight before her.

There were three strangers in the room, two women holding her kids, and one large man looking at her with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Let them go," Hinata said, her voice surprisingly steady despite the dread that coursed through her veins. She trained her gun on the man's her heart, yearning to move closer to her kids. To hold them.

"Mommy-"

"Hush now," the man said, tearing his gaze away from Hinata before running his fingers through Himawari's hair. The girl sniffled, her flashlight on the ground, lighting up the room.

"Himawari, don't worry," Hinata said softly. She met Boruto's eyes. His lower lip was trembling and he struggled against the tight grip the other woman had on him. "Your big brother is with you, isn't he? He'll protect you."

Boruto looked at her with wide eyes before blinking rapidly. "Yea-yeah, Hima," Boruto stuttered. "I'll-"

The man laughed gruffly. "Tell me, Mrs. Uzumaki," he said, smirking. "What do you plan on doing?" Hinata stiffened, her finger moving towards the trigger. "Ah, I wouldn't if I were you," the man said. He revolted her with his slicked back hair, dirty look, and sleazy smile. "How many people in here are holding guns other than you?"

Hinata frowned. "Three."

"Four," he amended.

Hinata furrowed her brows.  _Four_? The two women held guns to her children's heads and the other man held one too. Her heart beat in her chest and she whipped around just as another man sauntered into the room, grinning wildly, aiming a gun at her heart. She felt chills run down her spine. He could have easily been lurking in the hallway she had ventured down before, hidden in the shadows or waiting in one of the empty rooms.

"Four," the man repeated. "Let me lay out all that you can do. You can shoot me, but as soon as you do my people will fire and you'll be dead along with your children." By this point Himawari had tears running down her cheeks and Boruto was starting to shake. "Another option is to shoot one of these lovely women, but once you do the other one will pull the trigger. Which child are you willing to sacrifice?"

"Shut up," Hinata said, her hand starting to shake. " _Shut up_."

"Or you can shoot the man behind you in an attempt to save your own life with the cost of your kids," he continued, picking at his nails.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked desperately. She knew she was in a bind and she didn't know how she was going to get out with her children unharmed.

The man looked up, all his impishness replaced with anger.

"Why am I doing this?" he snarled. "Your  _husband_  and the rest of Konoha slaughtered so many of my people to create a safer world for your children. They do the same things we do and yet-"

"No, you're wrong," Hinata said slowly. "They may do some underhanded things but…but at least they don't purposefully threaten and kill the innocent. They don't assault and rape. They're trying to clean up-"

"Bullshit," the man barked. "You're ignorant if you believe that."

Even so, Hinata didn't care. Right now she just wanted Boruto and Himawari to be safe.

"So here's what's going to happen," the man said, sauntering over to Himawari. The little girl whimpered, trying to move away but the women beside her held on tight.

"Don't touch her," Hinata said, taking a threatening step forward.

The man laughed. "What are you going to do? You hardly look intimidating in your tank top and pajama pants." He smirked and ran his eyes across her form. She frowned but held her ground. "So, these lovely ladies of mine will take your kids-"

"They will not-"

"They  _will_  if you want them unharmed," the man said bitingly. "I'll cut off one of your little girls fingers one by one in front of you-"

"Mommy!"

"-unless you want to let them go with the ladies?"

Hinata's heart thumped in her chest as she listened to her baby girl wail and her boy start to sob. "I can't just let you take them…" she whispered out, defeated.

"First things first. Drop the gun," the man ordered. Hinata hesitated but he took another step closer to her kids and her fingers released. "Kick it back to the guy behind you." She did. "Good. Now say good bye to your kids-"

"Please, don't do this," Hinata said quietly. "They're just kids. They have nothing to do with-"

Quicker than she thought he could move, the man wove his fingers into Himawari's hair and pulled. The girl shrieked and Hinata moved.

"Stop!" she shouted, grabbed at his hand. He pushed her away roughly and she bumped into the dresser. All she could hear were her kids screaming. "Stop! I'll listen! I'll do what you say!"

He relinquished his grip and ran his hand through the child's hair. "Take them," he ordered to the two women. They nodded and pushed them to the door. The children resisted, raising their hands to Hinata. "Wait in the car, I'll be back soon."

"Mommy!"

Hinata had tears running across her cheeks. There was nothing she could do and she absolutely hated it. "Boruto, watch your sister, okay? Mommy will be there soon."

"I want daddy," Boruto sobbed as they women pushed him further and further away, followed by the other man that had lurked by the door.

 _Me too, honey_. Hinata shut her eyes, her hands curled into fists. "How did you get in?"

"It was easy," the man said. She could feel him approaching her. "You guys probably don't even know who you hired to watch the grounds. It's quite easy to plant your own people. After that cutting the electricity and turning off the alarm was simple."

She turned on him. "Now what?" she asked, anger laced in her voice. "You have my kids. What's the point?"

"The point is to make  _your_  husband, Naruto fucking Uzumaki, suffer for all the things he did," the man said, grabbed her face tightly. He squeezed her cheeks, and she pushed him away, knocking him back to the wall. The man chuckled, wiping at his clothes. He swiped a hand through his slicked back hair and gave her a wink. "I have your kids and that'll make Uzumaki mad enough but having his wife would be icing on the cake."

Hinata narrowed her eyes and took a step back. "Don't-"

The man moved towards her quickly and on instinct she brought a foot up and kicked him in the side. He wheezed but retaliated quickly, backhanding her. Her cheek stung but she was easily able to get a few punches in, no doubt bruising his stomach. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest, breathing heavily.

" _Stop_ ," he snarled. "Don't forget that the lives of your children are in my hand." Hinata stopped struggling. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a few buttons, turning on speaking phone.

 _"Hello?_ " a feminine voice sounded.

"Put on the kids," the man ordered.

There was a shuffling on the other side and then- " _Mom_?"

"Boruto!" Hinata gasped. "Boruto, did they hurt you?"

" _No, mommy, where are you? They took us to some car_ -"

" _Boru, I'm scared_ ," she heard Himawari sniffled.

"Don't be scared honey," Hinata said. "Mommy will-"

"Mommy will do anything to keep you safe," the man said, grinning maliciously at her.

Hinata felt her throat go dry again as she stared into his eyes. They were a dark brown and his smile was unsettling. "Y-yes," she stuttered, looking away from the man. "Mommy will do anything…"

"Give me some time," the man said into the phone. "We'll be there soon." He stuffed the device back into his pocket and stared down at the woman in his arms once more. "Anything, huh?"

"You're horrible," she said, but her voice was hardly above a whisper.

"I am," he agreed, running a finger across her face. He leaned in to kiss her but she moved her head away. "Bitch," he said, grabbing her wrist tightly and twisting. She inhaled sharply before swinging her other hand down, getting him on the nose. "What the  _fuck!_ " he exclaimed. "Do you  _want_  to kill your kids?" She still feel the stinging on her cheek from the slap the man gave her. She hated this. He was armed and he had leverage against her. "Go to the bed," he ordered. Hinata flinched.

Those words…

But she did as she was told. The bed was tall because of the drawers underneath it. She remembered briefly at how much Naruto enjoyed it on occasion. Perfect elevation, he would tease.

 _Perfect elevation, indeed,_  Hinata though bitterly. The man bent her over, pushing her body into the mattress and pressed her cheek into the blankets. He leaned against her, his hip against her ass and his chest pressed up against her back.

"Don't worry, I'll take you to your kids when we're finished." Hinata was silent as the man moved back again and placed his hands on the curve of her ass. He squeezed and chuckled. "For a mother of two you have quite the body. I can see why Uzumaki is so protective. So unwilling to share."

Hinata curled her fingers into the blankets and hid her face. Maybe if she pretended those hands were Naruto's she'd be able to get through this.

She just wanted a simple movie night with her kids.

She felt his fingers against trail a line against her waist, skimming the edge of her top. He slipped his hands beneath her stomach and the bed and her body shivered involuntarily. His hands felt cold and clammy, quite the opposite of Naruto's warm, comforting ones.

The man pressed his hips against her butt and she felt hardness against her and she cringed. He leaned down again, brushing her hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck, rotating his hips against hers.

She froze.

She always was very good at sensing him.

Hinata shifted on the bed slightly, leaning on her elbows.

"That's right," the man said into her ears, mistakenly taking her movements as her giving in. "Just go along with it, it'll be more enjoyable for the both of us that way."

Hinata was about to turn her head to look in the direction of the door when the man roughly pushed against her, once, twice. He dug his nails into her thighs and rubbed against her, dry humping her through their clothes. He took one hand and grabbed her hair, pushing her face back into the bed. He was starting to breath heavily now and she felt him move away and fumble with the belt on his pants.

"Where are my kids?" she tried asking. If this was indeed going to happen she would get the most out of it as she could.

The man laughed. "Somewhere on the grounds. Don't worry. I told you I'd take you to them when I'm done."

Hinata felt her heartbeat quicken and she strained her ears. Did she hear footsteps or was that her imagination? He wanted the man to keep talking…to waste some time.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to fuck you obviously," he said vulgarly. "I'm going to take one more thing from Naruto Uzumaki. I'm going to defile the wife he loves so much. Take her on the bed they share. Make it so you don't ever want a man to touch you again."  
He was distracted. She heard him lower his zipper and return to her once more, holding the edge of her pants.

"You're going to what?" she asked again, almost smiling. Because now she knew he was here.

"Damn bitch, are you deaf?" he asked, trying to shimmy off her pants but she pressed herself against the bed some more to make it more difficult.

"Yeah, you're going to what?" another voice spoke up from behind them, low and deadly.

The man turned too late. Next thing he knew he was on the ground and the Naruto Uzumaki he had been cursing for so long stood above him, gun pointing down at him. The man cursed, his mind was so fogged over.

"What? Are you going to kill me?" he asked. "When I have your kids with me?"

Hinata felt relief spread through her body at the sight of her husband standing, broad shouldered, over the greasy haired man. He looked furious; his eyes were dark but his knuckles white with how tightly he gripped his gun.

"You think I'm going to  _kill_  you?" Naruto asked chuckling darkly. "No."

Now the man looked worried.

Hinata slipped off the bed and grabbed the gun the man had dropped when he was working on his pants. She moved past the men and felt Naruto's eyes on her as she opened up their walk in closet in search of a few things.

"Hinata…" he heard her say when she left his view. She knew that, right now, one of the last things he probably wanted was for her to leave his sight.

"Deal with him, will you Naruto?" she asked as she searched in the dark. She felt like everything was going to be just fine now that he was here. Even if she had gotten away from this man she would have to have faced three other armed people holding guns to her kids heads. She was not willing to take that chance. But Naruto and herself against them? That was easy.

Naruto stared at the closet that Hinata slipped in. He heard clothing drop to the floor as she rummaged for something. He knew something was wrong as soon as he tried calling her cell phone to tell his family good night. He tried the landline next but it didn't even ring.

He wasn't a fool. He knew the things he did could easily mean bad news for his family. So he dropped everything and went home. His friends understood.

When he had reached their home and everything was dark his fear was confirmed. But he had been a tad bit too late. He heard the mans voice first and it made his blood run cold.

_I can see why Uzumaki is so protective. So unwilling to share._

Naruto could only imagine what was going on up there so he had made his way up the steps as quietly as he could.

He did not like the view he walked in on or the words he heard the man say as he walked down the hall. The man had unzipped his pants and walked over to his wife whom he had pressed against the bed and placed a hand on a cheek before messing with her pants. If Naruto was trigger-happy the man's blood would have soaked the hardwood floor but his eyes met Hinata's and he tried to be patient.

Hinata asked the man what he was going to do and Naruto knew she was trying to rile him up. But in a way that helped break the tension. He didn't like when she left his view but he knew she was safe now that the man that tried to touch her was groveling at his feet.

He looked back down and lowed his gun. "I'm going to shoot you," Naruto said coldly. "Then I'm going to save my kids-"

"I'm coming too," Hinata said from the closet.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. He wasn't okay with that but he'd talk to her. "Then I'm going to come back and kill you."

"Why not just kill me now, bastard?" the man snarled.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Actually…maybe I'll let you live. Send you to jail. But first…"

Hinata heard a gunshot and she peeked out of the room and saw the man clutching at his groin, blood quickly soaking through his pants. Her eyes widened as she watched Naruto place his gun back in its holster and approach her. The man was screaming and crying on the floor and Naruto didn't bother knocking him out. He wanted him to suffer.

"Let me see," Naruto said, placing a finger on her cheek gingerly. His expression was serious, his eyebrows furrowed, the muscles around his jaw tense. He examined the handprint on her face and clenched his teeth. The man's screaming felt infinitely better. He picked up her hand and looked at the bruise forming around her wrist. "I want to kill him," Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"He's suffering enough," she said softly. He looked down at her, his eyes sad.

"I always get you into some type of trouble," he said with a sigh. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You changed." She was wearing black with a bulletproof vest he had had made for her a while ago in case something bad happened.

"Yes," she nodded, pulling out a gun and loading it with bullets. "We're going to get our kids."

"No," Naruto said, shaking his head. " _I'm_  going to get our kids."

"This isn't the time," Hinata said, leaving the closet. She stopped near the man who had blacked out from the pain and shook her head. "You didn't see them. They were so distraught…"

"Hinata, please-"

"Naruto, I have to," she said, turning to face him. Dry tears streaked her cheeks and he knew this was something he wouldn't win.

"Fine," he said regretfully. " _Fine_. But you have to stay behind me."

Hinata sighed. "There are only three of them. We can handle it easily."

She left the room and he followed her closely, his chest brushing against her back. "I thought I said  _you_  stay behind  _me_."

Her laughter bounced off the dark halls that didn't seem that ominous anymore now that he was with him. And she knew soon she'd hear her kids laughing again too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know I didn't write them actually saving Boruto and Himawari but that's because in this universe I feel like these things will happen a lot (hostage situations, kidnap attempts, etc.). It's a lifestyle the kids are just going to have to get used to. And you all know what will end up happening anyway. (Also this ended up being over 10,000 words so I had to stop somewhere, haha).
> 
> Many thanks to all of you who consistently review (I try and reply to them all) but I'd like to take the time to recognize anonymous reviewer Usa-chan (since I can't message you personally) thanks for the continuous support with pretty much all the chapters! 
> 
> Also I had this written and done for a while but it was after I finished that I wanted to go another route with it but I had put so much effort and time into it that I couldn't just delete it all. (10,000+ words is a lot!) So maybe one day I'll do another gangster AU with Naruto's dark side more…obvious.
> 
> Either way, I hope you all enjoyed! 
> 
> Thank you all!
> 
> -Magma
> 
> P.S. Those fire analogies because Magma, haha. Ok.


	11. One-Shot 7.5: Samurai AU Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can run and you can hide. But at what cost? To stay together you have to pay with your life. Impossible.

They ran.

Hinata had thought about it. She was going to ask her father but something held her back. Something she wasn't telling Naruto. Not yet.

So they ran.

He didn't question her, he was just glad they were doing this. They were leaving  _together_. He had a small home in a village far from Toneri's town and in-between traveling the world they would stop by for a rest. They had married not so long after they fled Hinata's family, neither of them wanted to wait. They had known each other long enough, been through such an adventure, and both felt it was time.

"Sakura-chan, hello," Hinata greeted, walking into the quaint hospital her friend worked at.

"Hi, Hinata, what are you here for?" Sakura asked, looking up with a smile from a couple papers she was sorting.

"I don't mean to be a bother, I've been feeling a bit strange and Naruto has been insisting I come to you."

"It's no bother Hinata," Sakura laughed. "That husband of yours worries quite a lot about you."

Hinata flushed. "I tell him not to…"

"No, no, it's sweet," Sakura said leading her to a separate room. Some time later after Sakura finished she gave Hinata a strange look. "You're perfectly healthy. Tell Naruto not to worry. But Hinata, I've been meaning to try something out."

"Oh?"

"I want you to pee in a cup."

"Eh?" Hinata gasped. "Why would you want me to do that?"

Sakura grinned and led her to the back of the building. "This is my garden," she said, waving her hands.

Hinata giggled. "There's nothing growing." Indeed, the few green things that were sprouting from the dirt looked like weeds to Hinata and the rest of the plants and flowers were brown and wilting.

"Ah, well, not everyone can have a green thumb like you and Naruto," Sakura said, sighing dramatically and giving her friend a wink. She led her over to a small patch of dirt. "Wheat and barley test."

"What?"

"Wheat and barley test," Sakura repeated, nodding firmly. "I read about it a long time ago and I was hoping you could help me out."

Hinata looked hesitant. "I'm confused. Are you okay?"

Sakura held out her hand. "Pee in this cup."

"Sakura!"

"Please, Hinata. Trust me!"

Hinata stared at her friend, her pleading eyes begging. She gingerly took the cup, shook her head and started to walk back inside. "Okay," she said warily. "I'll be right back."

As soon as Hinata was done she handed Sakura the cup with dainty fingers, looking slightly disgusted. Sakura laughed at her expression and waved her off. "I'll see you around, eh?"

Hinata nodded. "What…what are you going to do with that?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nope, it's a secret. I'll tell you when the time is right. Come visit me in several days."

Hinata hesitated. "Well, okay. Thank you Sakura-chan."

Sakura waved as her friend left and as soon as she was sure the dark haired woman was gone she turned to the small patch of dirt. She had planted wheat and barley seeds a while ago. She crouched down and carefully tipped the cup of Hinata's urine over the dirt.

"Now, let's see if you grow," Sakura said, staring curiously.

.

* * *

.

Hinata expected to walk into an empty house. Naruto was supposed to be doing a short escorting job and he wasn't supposed to be home until later that day so the dark haired woman was quite surprised when she walked inside their cozy house and heard someone shuffling about.

With narrowed eyes she unsheathed the hidden dagger she kept on her body and crept through the hallway. She saw a shadow moving in the living room and peeked through, her eyes widening in surprise.

" _Kiba_?"

The brown haired man whipped around. She expected to see a large grin on his face but was met with his mouth set in a grim line.

"Hinata!  _Finally_!" he exclaimed, walking over to her.

"What are you doing her?" she asked, slipping her knife back. "Where's Akamaru? Wait, how did you get inside?"

"Akamaru's out in your garden with that fox, Kurama," he said. "Cute flowers by the way. And none of that matters, I've been looking for you forever. Do you know how hard it was to track you? And I'm a damn good hunter."

Hinata frowned. "I'm sorry but Naruto-kun and I had to cover our tracks well."

"Naruto?" Kiba questioned. "Ah, I thought so. I heard you ran off before the wedding. That's why I'm here."

Hinata took a cautious step back. "I'm not marrying Toneri," she said slowly.

"Yeah, she's already taken," a familiar voice sounded from behind her. He was early. She felt herself relax when she felt his familiar presence brush up against her back. "What's going on?" Naruto asked.

Hinata shrugged, looking at Kiba in confusion. "Kiba?"

"Look, I don't mean to break up this happy life you two have built," Kiba said sincerely. "Honestly, I wish you guys invited me to the wedding," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head, not missing the glint of jewelry on their respective index fingers. "But, Hinata, your father had hired me to track you down."

"Why?" she asked, starting to get concerned. Suddenly the hidden dagger inside of her sleeve felt colder and heavier than ever. All the responsibilities she had left behind started to creep their way back to her.

"I don't know a lot of the details but he had said you had a job to do and you failed."

Hinata flinched. "I-"

"So he had sent your sister in your stead."

" _What?_ " Hinata gasped. "Hanabi was forced to marry Toneri?"

Kiba shook his head. "Hanabi was sent to finish the job you were meant to do."

"Wasn't that to marry that man?" Naruto spoke up, his voice laced with venom. Even though it had been a long time since he saw that Toneri bastard, he still held an intense dislike for him.

Kiba looked at Naruto with curious eyes. "Hinata, you have some explaining to do."

Naruto frowned. "What does he mean?" he looked down at his wife who picked at the hem of her clothing nervously. "Hinata?"

"Hinata, Hanabi was captured," Kiba said, ignoring Naruto's questioning. "She's being held hostage by Toneri."

"No…" Hinata said in a whisper, staring at the ground. "This is my fault…"

"You've been trained for this job," Kiba said. "Your father intends for you to finish it and save your sister in the process."

Hinata didn't hesitate. Her mouth was set in a grim line, her eyes hard as she stared into her old friend Kiba's warm brown ones. "I'll do it."

"Wait, what the hell is going on?" Naruto exclaimed. He didn't like the way the two were looking at each other. Kiba with an apologizing look and Hinata with a fierce look muddled with…regret?

"Look, I have to go," Kiba said, whistling. Akamaru bound in from the backdoor he had left open. "I don't know who could be following  _me_  and frankly I don't want them to find you guys," Kiba said smiling openly. "Maybe after you complete your mission, Hinata, you can get right back to this life. Go back into hiding. But before that, I think you should finish your job."

Hinata nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry Kiba."

"Eh, don't be," the man said, grinning. "I'm glad you found happiness." He turned to Naruto. "You better be treating her right, you hear? She's like my sister."

"Of course I am," Naruto huffed, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

It wasn't long after that did Kiba and Akamaru take their leave. Hinata was alone with her husband once more, with many questions to answer but not enough time to give them.

She turned away from him and went to their shared bedroom, rummaging through the drawers.

"Hinata," Naruto followed close behind, question after question falling from his lips. "What's going on? What are you doing? What did Kiba mean, you have to complete a mission?"

"Naruto…" she looked at him with concerned eyes, as if doubtful if she should tell him. She turned away from him and slipped off her kimono, not at all shy under his gaze. She had burned under his heated stares many times before during nights filled with passion. Disrobing in front of him was nothing new.

She had started to wrap herself in bandages and he walked over to her, gently taking the roll from her hands and gradually covering her body. She thanked him quietly and he just nodded.

"You're upset?" she finally asked softly as she put on a robe more appropriate for travel.

Naruto sighed, taking a sash from one of their drawers and helping to tie her kimono shut. "No, I'm just confused." Hinata started to strap on a few daggers into the inside of her clothing and he gave her an incredulous look. " _See_. This is what I mean!"

She stopped, straightening her sleeves. "What?"

"So I know you used to train, I learned that on our journey together," he said, looking down at her. "But…there's something else you aren't telling me."

Hinata looked up into her husbands blue eyes, yearning at her to speak. "Remember that time I told you that just how I encouraged you to continue to grow strong, you pushed me to work harder as well?"

Naruto nodded. He couldn't forget that conversation if he wanted to. It was right before that goateed bandit and his men had attacked them.

"Well, the reason I was on that training field…" she hesitated. "I was training."

"Hinata," Naruto said, his face impassive. He knew that much. "Please."

She sighed, resting her forehead on his chest, her hair tickling him. "Naruto-kun, you've killed people before, yes?"

"Of course," he said. "I'm not exactly proud of it, but I have. I've done it to protect the people I care about."

Hinata bit the inside of her cheeks. "What if you hate me after I tell you this?"

"I promise I'll never hate you," Naruto said, bringing his arms up around her. She settled against his body, feeling a bit of calm radiate throughout her.

"Okay," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She hesitated but after taking a shaky breath she spoke. "Naruto, since I was young my father trained my in the arts of…well…killing."

"So you were trained as a female samurai?"

"Not exactly," she said, curling her fingers against the planes of his chest as she tilted her head up to look at him. "Ninja and samurai coexist, you know."

Naruto stared at her with wide eyes. "You're a ninja," he said. It wasn't even a question. For some reason there was no doubt in his mind that the woman he married was a capable  _ninja_. "That's why you were able to fight so proficiently."

She nodded. "And that's why I was being married off to Toneri."

Naruto pursed his lips. "Okay, you lost me again."

"My marriage to Toneri was actually supposed to be an assassination job," she said, her eyes trained onto his, looking for even the slightest change. The slightest hint that he did not like what she was saying. "But I… _we_  left before I could get further instructions," she said. She saw his throat bob as he swallowed.

"I see."

"Naruto?"

He was looking somewhere past her, deep in thought. For some reason he  _could_  believe she had the ability to do all the things ninjas do but it still felt so  _strange_. "But you're so gentle and kind," he said, unaware that he spoke those words aloud. "You don't seem like a ruthless killer."

Hinata was a bit hurt at the statement but she pulled his attention back to herself by placing a finger on his cheek. "Which is exactly what makes me perfect for infiltration and assassination jobs, no?"

Naruto stared into Hinata's beautiful, light eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I didn't mean to call you a ruthless killer. It just-"

"Don't worry about it," she said truthfully. "I'm just upset that my sister, Hanabi, was sent in my stead to complete what was supposed to be  _my_  mission. Now she's captured and she could be hurt and it's all my fault and-"

"Hinata," Naruto said, cupping her face in his hands. "Hey, calm down. We'll save her."

"We?"

Naruto perked an eyebrow. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you go on your own?"

Hinata pouted. "Well, you know I'm more than capable now-"

"Doesn't matter. I'm coming," he stated. "Whatever you do, I'll do. The only way I'll leave your side is if I die. And anyway, I don't want that bastard to have the chance to sweet-talk his way into your heart."

Hinata almost laughed. "Okay, guess we're both going to save my sister."

"Promise me you'll be careful?"

"Only if you promise too."

They sealed the deal with a kiss.

.

* * *

.

It didn't take long. The couple had left immediately after, traveling the long distance back to Toneri's village. They talked about taking Kurama with them but decided against it. This was a stealth mission. Having the large, instinct driven fox by their side may not have been the smartest move. Kurama himself didn't seem too happy with their leave. He growled at them first as they made their way out the door but Naruto hurt a little to hear his muffled whines from their house. He certainly would have made a great asset for when they came across the stupid, white haired man. Naruto knew the fox probably wanted to rip his throat out as much as he did.

The journey was incredibly short compared to the last one they had taken together. They didn't stop to dillydally or to sightsee. They certainly did not go visit friends, no matter how tempting it was. They hadn't seen their old friends since their last journey, considering they had to lay low. But now they had another goal in mind, one that Hinata was determined to accomplish successfully.

And they did.

They infilitrated Toneri's home. It was almost too easy.

Naruto was just the  _slightest_  bit upset by the fact that Toneri died by Hinata's hand and not his own, but he would live with it. Hinata had found her sister in pretty good shape and whisked her out of there immediately.

The trio had made their way into the forest and ran as far as they could before growing tired and stopping to rest. Naruto excused himself, telling the sisters he could go collect some more firewood. He left the Hyuga's to bond. They talked about small things before Hanabi shifted the conversation to more pressing matters.

"Onee-san," Hanabi started slowly, poking at the fire with a stick, her eyes looking eerily red from the flickering light.

"Hm?"

Hanabi turned to look at her older sister. She was picking at her hair, smiling to herself, no doubt thinking about that blonde man that had accompanied her. Hanabi was no fool. She saw the way her sister looked at him. The way her eyes lit up and a beautiful smile graced her face. She saw the way the whiskered man gravitated towards her sister during the fight against Toneri. How he seemed to instinctively move to protect her, shield her from harm. How his eyes shifted to look at her during their run through the forest, as if to make sure she was still by his side.

No, she was no fool. Those two were deeply in love and what she was about to say would be incredibly painful but she knew it was better to just say it rather than beat around the bush.

"Hinata…because you failed to complete the mission and…and caused such shame to the Hyuga, the clan has marked both you and Naruto, the cause of your disloyalty, for death."

The forest sounded deafeningly quiet all of a sudden. It felt like even the campfire had stopped crackling.

"What?" Hanabi had to strain to hear her sisters words. "Hanabi, what did you say?"

Hanabi shut her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before turning to face her sister. "Hinata, I'm sorry. The only way you can get back to the Hyuga's good graces is by killing Naruto."

Hinata's eyebrows furrowed together. "How  _dare_  you, Hanabi-"

Her sister glanced around and lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning in closer. "I'm  _sorry_ ," her sister said regretfully. "I don't want to ask you to do that but if you don't I have been ordered to kill  _both_  you and Naruto."

Hinata's lips were set in a thin line. "Why are you telling me this? You know I could easily kill you myself."

Hanabi frowned and scoffed. "Perhaps. Maybe if your boyfriend-"

"Husband," Hinata corrected coldly.

Hanabi paused. Never had she heard her sister's voice like steel directed towards herself. She didn't like it. And did she say  _husband_? Hanabi felt like an immense weight was pressing down on her and she didn't like it one bit.

"Onee-san, I know you wouldn't hurt me," she said softly. "And you know just as well as I do with how the Hyuga clan works. You have to be lying if you say you never once thought something like this would happen if you saved me."

Hinata looked away.

"You don't want to hurt me," Hanabi continued, her voice forgiving.

Hinata shut her eyes tightly. She may not care about getting back into her clan's good graces, but she did care about her sister. Deeply. And if Hanabi…if Hinata didn't do what was necessary of her,  _Hanabi_  would be the one to face the consequences. Hinata could run with Naruto all she wanted but her  _sister_?

No.

She could never allow herself to be responsible for anything bad that befell Hanabi. Hinata swallowed, her throat feeling uncomfortably constricting. She had to choose between two of the most precious people in her life, Hanabi and Naruto.

Hanabi allowed her sister some time to think. She could see her resolve crumbling.

Suddenly Hinata opened her eyes wide, staring off into nowhere.

This was it.

"Here," Hanabi said gently, moving closer and taking her sisters hand into hers. She placed a thin dagger in her hand, almost like a needle. "Be careful," she said. "It's coated with poison."

Hinata refused to look her sister in the eye but she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the weapon.

"I expect the job to be done by morning or else I will have to take the both of you out." It was hard for her to speak those words but she did. She said them loudly and resolutely, filled with conviction. The younger sister got to her feet. "I'm okay without the fire," she said, quieting herself. "I'll leave you alone with Naruto. Good night, sister."

Hinata stared at the small weapon in her hand, shining in the light from the flames. She placed it gently to the side before pulling her knees to her chest and hiding her head.

What was she to do?

.

* * *

.

Sometime later that night Hinata sat beside Naruto, her back against his chest, as they basked in the warmth from the fire. But nonetheless, she felt incredibly cold. Naruto thought she was strangely quiet and when he asked about her sisters whereabouts she just told him not to worry. She would come back in the morning. Naruto didn't push her. Her sister was a sensitive topic.

He pulled her towards him some more, tightening his grip around her shoulders, placing a soft kiss on top of her head.

"Did I tell you about the time when I was a little kid training in kendo?" he asked out of the blue, his deep voice adding to the pleasant sounds of the forest, crickets chirping, their fire crackling. She shifted slightly in his hold, shaking her head. Naruto chuckled and Hinata snuggled against him, enjoying the rumbling from his chest. "My sensei asked us a strange question," he said before stopping. She waited but he refused to go on. He wanted to hear her voice. She was too quiet.

Hinata turned a bit and looked up at him. "What was the question?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Naruto smiled at her. It was a tender smile. Almost a sad smile. It made her heart clench and her eyes glisten. She didn't know  _why_ but her throat constricted as all the love she felt for him bubbled up inside of her. "He asked if the world was to end tomorrow, who would you like to spend your final day with?"

Hinata waited, not realizing she was holding her breath. Why would he bring something like that up at a time like this? It was spontaneous… Naruto's eyes looked sad and hers widened.  _Could he know?_

"It was much later in life that I learned why this question was asked. It was to determine where the kids would go in case one of their parents died. It was a rough and bloody time, I'm sure you remember. Full of death. A lot of kids lost their parents in scuffles and duels..."

Hinata held Naruto tighter and felt his grip strengthen as well.

"I couldn't answer the question back then," he said, chuckling darkly, briefly looking away from her, hiding the fact that he was blinking away tears. "I didn't know my parents and I didn't really have any friends. So I made fun of my sensei and the question." Naruto paused and sighed deeply, his thumb running across the wedding band on his index finger. "But I know the answer to that question now."

Naruto looked down at Hinata, appreciating the way the moon reflected beautifully in her eyes.

"You, Hinata. You are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.  _Until the day I die_."

Hinata sucked in her breath. She didn't fail to grasp his emphasis on the last part.  _He knows_ , she thought, sadness welling up inside of her.  _He knows and he's telling me it's okay for me to kill him_.

Hinata forced herself to tear her gaze away from him and looked up at the full moon, shining brightly down at them but creating long shadows that shrouded them in darkness.

"I think the moon is getting larger."

They were silent for a moment, simply listening to each others breathing.

"Do you think it's about to fall?"

"It looks like it."

"In that case, let's spend our final night together."

.

* * *

.

Naruto and Hinata made love for what they both knew was their last time.

He kissed her gently, resting her on the grass beside the warm fire, careful to pull her hair from under her so it wouldn't tug at her. They worked slow, running their fingers everywhere they could touch. Feather light, brushing softly but leaving sparks along their path.

Naruto kissed her soundly, their lips moving together, hypersensitive to each other's touch. He trailed his lips to her jawline, following a familiar path down her neck, shifting her kimono to the side. She could feel a grace of a smile against her skin, knowing full well where his thoughts wandered. He had often teased her about her kimono being so easy to pull of her shoulders but she knew how much he personally enjoyed it.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as he continued to peck at her skin, carefully untying her obi. He slipped his hand inside of her robe, gliding along her body. Hinata allowed her fingers to entwine in his hair as he continued to caress her body, memorizing the curves, scars, and marks. He already knew everything about her body but he wanted to do it again.

She pulled his face back up to hers, stopping briefly to stare into his eyes, his oh so blue eyes. She kissed him, a bit rougher than she intended, but he reciprocated with just as much passion. The kiss left no room for smiles. Soon they're just holding on to each other, bodies pressed against each other. She could feel him trembling, unsure whether it was from need or sadness, and she places a kiss beneath his ear, whispering words of love.  _So much,_  she says. Her love for him is overwhelming, unbridling and threating to burst.

He felt her fingers fumbling with his clothing, pulling down his robe from his torso. For a second she marvels at the broadness of his shoulders, his toned muscles tensing as she glides her fingers across his skin. He watched her as she ingrained a picture of himself into her mind, the way her mouth was slightly parted, her eyes lidded and hazed. Her neck smooth, just starting to glisten with sweat. He felt her fingers on his abdomen, tugging at the white straps.

Removing the bandages wrapped around their chests was an intimate process. It was slow work. Many times in the past she would just omit removing his bandages if passion took over. He would tear hers off, leaving them in tatters on their bed. But this time they unwound them slowly. He kissed the newly exposed skin as she shivered pleasantly from his touches and she did the same, lingering longer on the thin scars he had accumulated over the years. Every major scar had a story and she knew them all.

Hinata was breathing heavily now, their clothes lay discarded beside them, beneath them, they weren't too sure. It didn't matter. She felt his excitement press against her thigh as their lips brushed over one another. His mouth left hers and she almost whined at the loss of contact but she felt him envelop the tip of her breast, the other hand tickling at her waist.

His whispered name slipping out of her mouth almost drove him into a frenzy but he would take his time appreciating her. Neither of them wanted to rush through this and he coaxed out as many purrs from her as he could before delving into her. Hinata splayed her hands across his lower back as he positioned himself in front of her. He leaned forward, grasping her chin and tilting it up so their eyes bore into one another.

"I love you," he said for what could have been the hundredth time that night.

Hinata's eyes scrunched up as she felt so many emotions effervesce to the surface. She hooked one leg around his waist, pulling him close enough that she felt him prodding against her.

"I love you, Naruto-kun," she said, hoping her feelings would find their way to him with those simple words. "I love you so much."  _I'll never stop loving you_. They were unspoken but he heard them well.

It was then that he closed the distance between them. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as he kissed her neck, his breathing ragged as he allowed her body to accommodate him. She shifted beneath him, bringing her other leg up to pull him closer. Naruto grunted out her name when he felt her tugging at his earlobe with her teeth.

She was ready.

With both hands splayed at her sides he pulled away so he could watch her as he moved inside of her. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips reddened and her eyes dark. He went slow, feeling her quake beneath him, shuddering out his name in breathy whispers. He knew her body well. He knew just how to move to get her to gasp out his name or let out a little cry. He knew where to touch her to make her melt into his arms. He knew her well and he liked to think that he knew her better than anyone else ever did or ever will.

But now…?

He couldn't stand it any longer. He moved forward, their teeth clicking and massaging their tongues together. She cried out when he shoved their hips closer together and he quickly silenced her exclamation with his mouth before kissing her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, anywhere he could get to. He felt her fingernails digging into his back and he pressed himself flush against her, leaving no gap between the two. He could feel everything, the way her chest moved as she breathed heavily, the thin line of sweat that sheened on their bodies.

Naruto buried his face into her neck, biting her collarbone, holding on to her tightly. Her breath tickled his ears but her words made him want to burst into flames. He felt her tighten around him again, a cry of satisfaction leaving her lips and he knew he was close as well. She could feel his pace becoming erratic and she took hold of his face in her hands, giving him a searing look. He kissed her again, almost thankfully, before peeling himself away from her for just a second. He took hold of her legs behind the knee and leaned back down, her legs settled on top of his shoulders. She gripped his forearms and he pressed down against her, moving quickly.

He growled out her name, turning his head to kiss the side of her leg. At the change in position Hinata felt that spring inside of her tightening once again. Naruto felt her muscles fluttering around her and recognized well the way her face twisted up cutely, her mouth parted and letting out little gasps.

"Naruto-" she rasped, arching her back and moaning his name. He continued to bury himself into her as she trembled beneath him, losing his rhythm. He felt hot and shaky and then suddenly he was overwhelmed, drowning in pleasure. He let out a choked cry of her name as he released inside of her, slowing his pace as they rode through their high.

He was reluctant to pull out of her because he didn't want their time together to end. He kissed her again as he lay her legs gently down on the soft ground before settling next to her. He was breathing heavily and he felt a bit tired but he moved to wrap her loosely in her discarded kimono as he did the same.

He pulled her towards himself, kissing her sweaty forehead. Both of them were so engrossed in each other that, for just a second, they forgot that their world was ending. But their post coital bliss seemed to evaporate as soon as it came.

Naruto felt Hinata move just the slightest away from him. His heart was beating fast when he felt her reach for the dagger that Hanabi gave her. He let his eyes close and tensed, preparing himself for her to strike him.

But it never came.

He heard her huff in pain and his eyes immediately shot open.

" _Hinata_?" he exclaimed, sitting up to see her better.  _No. No, no, no._  Inside he knew what had happened. What she had done. But he couldn't believe it. "Hinata, what are you doing? What did you do?" With a shaking hand he reached over to grasp her shoulder, turning her so she was on her back, her body in his lap.

His thoughts were confirmed. Hinata had stabbed  _herself_  instead.

"Hinata," he whispered, feeling hot tears gather in his eyes as he covered her hands with his. A little bit of her blood was leaking through her wound and inbetween her fingers. "Hinata, it's not deep at all," he said, his voice shaking. "I can patch it up easily."

"Naruto-kun," her voice was soft. So soft. Too low. "It's poisoned," she said, knowing full well that he knew. He shook his head, feeling a teardrop escape and fall onto her.

"No, Hinata, stop," he said, starting to shake.

Hinata moved her hand to cup his cheek, accidently getting some red onto his whiskers. "If I was asked to name the person I wanted to spend my final day with," she started, before coughing. Naruto's vision was starting to blur, as hers was as well. But for two different reasons. His because of the tears, hers because of the poison in her veins. "Do you know the name?"

"Hinata, please," he said, his voice strangled.

Her breathing was slow now. "Uzu..maki… Na…ru…to…"

Naruto couldn't stop the tears as he felt Hinata go limp in his embrace.

.

* * *

.

Hanabi shot up from the tree branch she was situated in when she heard someone yell her sisters name.

It was a heartbreaking sound, so full of misery, scratching at her heartstrings. She was on her feet in an instant, running towards the flickering light of the fire some distance away.

She froze when she saw Naruto holding the nearly lifeless body of her sister in his arms but she kept her feelings under control. She had a task to do.

"What happened here?" she asked. She was no child, she saw that their clothing were in disarray but right now all she cared about was her sisters body laying unmoving in his arms, a glint of metal sticking out of her stomach.

Naruto looked up at the brown haired girl with dead eyes, his cheeks streaked with tears.

"She stabbed herself with the poisoned dagger you gave her."

Hanabi only briefly wondered how he knew  _she_  gave it to her but she quickly brushed the thought out of her mind. She had to work quickly.

"But…why?" the girl croaked.

"Why do you think?" Naruto scoffed, his voice sounding gruff.

Hanabi stopped to think of what would happen if she actually went after Naruto. She saw him fight back in Toneri's mansion. A fight between her and Naruto would end very badly on her part. Hanabi didn't doubt her skills but she would be a fool to engage in a match with him. She would end up getting seriously injured and perhaps even killed.

Her sister wanted to protect her...but she also wanted to protect Naruto. She couldn't stand to see either of them hurt, and there was only one solution that she could think of…so she decided to hurt herself instead.

Something broke inside Hanabi. This was not what she wanted.

She quickly threw a bottle at Naruto's direction. He caught it reflexively.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice unkind, staring at the liquid suspiciously.

"It's an antidote to the poison. But it has to be taken orally and it's poisonous to anyone who hasn't been poisoned beforehand. You will have to..."

Before Hanabi could continue Naruto had already opened the bottle and placed a generous amount of it inside his mouth. It felt like acid and tasted bitter on his tongue, but he persevered. He opened up Hinata's mouth and connected it with his. He made sure he got as much of the strange liquid inside her as he possibly could. He inevitably swallowed quite a lot of it, but he didn't care...he couldn't live without her.

Hanabi stood at the foot of the fire, staring at the couple in awe.

"You actually did it," she said, a tumult of feelings rolling inside of her. "You really are prepared to die for her…" she looked away for a second before drawing her resolve. Quickly she unsheathed a thin dagger from her side, almost identical to the one that was stabbed in Hinata. "What a useless gesture."

Naruto's eyebrows knit together as he stared from the Hyuga standing threateningly over him to the Hyuga in his arms. No, Hinata  _had_  to live. "But the antidote?" His mind had started to feel fuzzy.

"I lied to you, you blithering idiot. The poison in her bloodstream, there's no way to save her. It was all a trick to get you to drink it."

Naruto felt himself get dizzy and collapse on the floor. He didn't understand. "How could you do this to your own sister?"

"A shinobi is a tool," said Hanabi coldly. "We learn to kill our emotions and do our missions effortlessly. It's been a long time since I killed mine. Why do you think we sent Hinata on that mission to Toneri with you? We knew you were her strongest emotional bond she had, and we wanted her to sever it."

"That's... a horrible way to live..." he said with ragged breaths.

"I manage," Hanabi said coldly, moving closer to her brother-in-law. "My sister couldn't... she was weak."

As Naruto struggled to get up Hanabi continued to taunt him.

"The era of the samurai is coming to an end. Technology and money are starting to replace your stupid swordplay and honor. Pretty soon, there won't be any samurai left..."

It was useless. He couldn't move anymore. He was completely at her mercy.

"But ninja will still exist, and will still thrive. There will always be a need for infiltration and deception. For covert assassination."

He felt her dagger pierce his abdomen. Even through the haze he could tell it was a shallow cut. The wound wouldn't be the thing that killed him, but the poison would.

"Now die, like the bygone era that you represent."

His eyelids felt heavy and he strained himself to have one last look at Hinata. She was pale… He reached out for her but his hand fell limp. Naruto was starting to black out. It was all over.

 _Hinata,_ Naruto thought.  _I am coming to see you now._

_._

* * *

.

Hiashi and the rest of the Hyuga elders looked at the bodies of Hinata and Naruto that Hanabi placed before them.

"And how did you manage to smuggle the bodies inside our borders?"

"Easy," Hanabi said, standing straight, her nose in the air. "I just bribed a nearby caravan owner to let me use one of his carriages."

"You could have easily killed him," said one of the elders, looking suspiciously at the corpses before them.

"He had a family, and he wasn't alone," replied Hanabi "Killing him would mean I would have to kill everyone else, and it would alert the authorities on the matter. Bribing him was the most efficient way to go."

"Very well done." said Hiashi, nodding briefly. "Your mission was a complete success. You have assassinated Toneri, and you have managed to track down and kill Hinata and Naruto who have tarnished our clan's reputation."

He placed his palm on Hinata's neck and then on Naruto's.

"No pulse. I hereby confirm that the two traitors are dead. Their bodies will be left unwept and unburied in a deep part of the forest, to be eaten by animals like the traitorous morsels that they are," he hesitated, staring into the expressionless face of her eldest daughter. He tore his gaze away to look at his youngest. "You may leave now." Hanabi nodded and turned to go. "Oh and...Hanabi?"

"Yes father?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"You are my pride and joy."

Hanabi gave Hiashi a faint smile and proceeded to leave with the rest of the elders.

The Hyuga elder looked at Hinata's limp body and let out a sad sigh.

"Both of you are."

.

* * *

.

Naruto opened his eyes to see a pair of beautiful, light lavender eyes staring back at him. He felt a familiar, comforting warmth of her body on his and felt her lips against his own. His own eyes fluttered shut as he weaved a hand into her silky hair and peppered kisses along the hollow of her throat.

"So this is what heaven feels like," he said, a cheesy smile making its way to his face.

"Oh, jeez!" he heard a voice bring his dream to a screeching halt. "Stop, you're making me feel uneasy. And we have to move fast."

Naruto's eyes shot open and he disappointedly turned away from the woman in his arms to look at where he heard Hanabi's voice. He felt rage build up inside of him and felt an unusual urge for blood.

"You!" he exclaimed angrily. "Why I oughta-"

"Naruto-kun, no!" Hinata exclaimed, grabbing his arm firmly. "She's with us!"

Naruto tensed, the familiar feeling of Hinata's hand on his bicep calming him. But her words made no sense. "What?"

"I will explain," Hanabi said, looking briefly over her shoulder at the two. The three of them walked through the forest quickly, and she told her tale.

The poison she used was a special kind. Alone it outright killed a person, but combined with the antidote she gave them, it allowed them to go into a false death state which made them appear dead but were essentially alive. After that, all she needed to do was administer a shot that fully neutralized the poison in order to 'bring them back from the dead.'

"At first, I just wanted onee-san to come back to us. To be with me once more like when we were kids," Hanabi admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Originally the order was for both of you to die. But I suggested to father that he put on a clause that absolved Hinata of her actions if she decided to kill you. He readily agreed. And I gave the poisoned dagger to Hinata hoping she would kill you...and come back to me..." Hanabi trailed off, her shoulders tense, unsure how they would take the news.

"But things didn't turn out the way you thought they would, did they?" Naruto asked, his previous fury directed towards the young girl starting to trickle away.

Hanabi shook her head. "When I saw you holding my sister's body in your arms, I realized how much she loved you. How much she couldn't live without you." She hesitated to speak the next few words. "Something inside me broke. I couldn't let things end like that."

Naruto frowned. "I don't get it though. Why go through all this trouble? Why not just let us be? Why not just give us the full antidote outright?"

Hanabi sighed. "I had to present  _evidence_  to the elders that the mission was complete, namely your dead bodies. If I didn't, the mission would be marked a failure, I would be marked for death and another ninja assassin would be sent in my stead. You would both be on the run for the rest of your very short lives. I don't want my sister to live like that and I certainly don't want her to  _die_  like that."

"Then what about those harsh things you said back then?"

"I was being observed by another Hyuga shinobi," Hanabi admitted. "I had to play my role convincingly or the game would have been up for all of us."

"Are we being observed now?" Naruto asked, his eyes darting around through the trees, his grip on Hinata's hand tightening. She gave him a reassuring squeeze back.

"No, the elders bought it hook, line and sinker and let me deal with your corpses," Hanabi said with relief. "As far as I know I am the only person who knows that the two of you are still alive." Suddenly the younger girl turned and faced them, smiling broadly and presenting them with a bunch of papers and small bundles of money. "Other than papa, of course!"

Hinata looked surprised. "Our father knows?" she asked, while taking the sheets of paper from her sister, carefully flitting through them. Hanabi nodded. "What is this?"

"Your new identities," Hanabi said. "Father and I made some arrangements for you two."

Naruto looked over Hinata's shoulder curiously, taking a few papers from her. They stared at the instructions with disbelief.

"You want me to dye my hair black and call myself Menma?"

"And I'm supposed to become blonde and change my name to Shion?"

"It's only temporary," the young Hyuga said at once, trying to put them at ease. A sly grin formed on her face. "Once you two have kids we will make other arrangements." Hanabi stared at the two lovers with stars in her eyes. Naruto and Hinata blushed but the young girl just laughed. "You two honestly are perfect for each other," she gushed. "The way you two were willing to sacrifice your lives for each other! It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it."

The pair looked nervously at the girl swooning like a romantic but it made Hinata happy to see her sister acting like a child once again. Deep down, despite all the ninja training, she was still a little girl at heart.

"Now go and make me some good nephews and nieces you hear?" she said teasingly. "I'll pay you a visit incognito as soon as I can!" She then got near Naruto and whispered in his ear, her eyes sharp like an animal stalking its prey. "You better not hurt her, or I  _will_  hunt you down and kill you."

Then the girl left and Naruto turned to look at Hinata with nervousness and confusion apparent on his face. She giggled and he felt relief spread through his body. He almost lost her. Of  _course_  he wouldn't hurt her.

"I love you, Hinata," he said, pulling her into a tight embrace.

She smiled, burying her head into his chest. "I love you too."

They wouldn't be leaving each other's sides any time soon. They had to pay with their  _lives_  to stay together, and they were certainly going to make the most of it.

.

* * *

.

The Hyuga elder smiled at his youngest daughter. They were both alone in their secluded "Secret Place", a deep meadow of the forest where nobody else dared approach whether be civilian, samurai, or shinobi.

"That was an excellent plan Hanabi, brilliantly conceived and expertly executed."

"What can I say, papa? I had a great teacher."

Hiashi felt a deep warmth in his heart. In the compound he was Hiashi, a cold-blooded, shinobi clan leader, but here in the meadow, he was Hanabi's papa.

"Still, the risk factor of the plan was very high. If the poison dose was too much then..."

"The antidote wouldn't work and they would both die, yes. And, if the poison dose was too low, then it wouldn't work at all..."

"Hm…"

"Hinata should thank her lucky stars her little sister grew up to become a skilled poisoner," Hanabi said with a light laugh.

Hiashi looked at the young woman beside him and made a mental note to never get on his daughter's bad side.

"You even managed to fool the elders. I'm impressed."

"Deception is a shinobi's most powerful tool, papa. You taught me that."

"Still, I have to ask. How did you come up with this?"

"Remember that Gaijin theater play you took me to see a few years ago?"

"The one where the guy screamed at the girl on the balcony?"

"Yes, that's the one! It had a plan involving poison, and it stayed in the back of my head. I decided to study poisons and medicine in order to develop a procedure similar to the one described in the play."

"But they both  _died_  in the end," Hiashi said with raised eyebrows

"That was only due to unfortunate circumstances," Hanabi puffed. " They were star-crossed lovers, it wasn't meant to be. It was a sound plan though, and it would have worked if the messenger wasn't a complete idiot and misinformed the boy in the play."

Hiashi hid a small smile. "Fair enough." He thought about something before turning to look at his little girl. "I looked at the protocol you developed."

"And?"

"It said you had to provide air to the bodies every four hours in order to prevent brain damage… How did you do this exactly?"

A deep red blush formed on Hanabi's face as she avoided eye contact with her father.

"I'll take that secret to the grave."

.

* * *

.

Sakura opened the door to her garden and placed her hands on her hips. She bit the inside of her cheek, a frown present on her face. She certainly did  _not_  have a green thumb. She would have to go visit Hinata and Naruto some day soon to ask them for help. Tending to a garden was hard work.

Briskly she walked over to where she had asked Hinata to perform a few tests for her several days prior. She squat down to the ground, arms on her knees and stared to see if anything grew.

A smile crept its way onto her face as she looked at the little sprouts poking out of the moist dirt.

"Barley…" Sakura whispered to herself, her eyes widening and her cheeks starting to hurt from how large her grin was.

Naruto and Hinata would be so happy with the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I can't take full credit for this piece of work. I'd like to thank Petran on ff (also known as L3nesman on Tumblr) for the idea and plot of this continuation.
> 
> .
> 
> For your own knowledge, a lot of this chapter is based on true facts.
> 
> For example, the wheat and barley test I have included was an ancient sort of pregnancy test. A woman who thinks she may be pregnant urinates on a handful of barley and wheat seeds. If the wheat sprouts the woman will have a girl. If the barley sprouts the woman will have a boy. If nothing sprouts, she's not pregnant.
> 
> Congrats, Hinata and Naruto!
> 
> .
> 
> About the poison that Hanabi used, here is what I learned from Petran:
> 
> "Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction:
> 
> The poison that Hanabi uses is real. It's called tetradotoxin and it originates from puffer-fish a Japanese delicasy. It's the reason the Fugu Sushi dish is considered dangerous. But the reason I am mentioning it is because it is used in another process called ZOMBIEFICATION.
> 
> Yes, Zombies are real but they are something to be pitied, not feared. During the process of zombiefication, the voodoo priest poisons the man that is supposed to "have his soul stolen from him" with the afore-mentioned poison. The poison causes a state that resembles death. After the person is buried, the voodoo priest opens the grave and performs a ritual during which he "steals the soul of the cursed one" (essentially he puts in the body something that neutralizes the poison). The person becomes alive again but they are too brain-damaged to function in society again i.e. "zombiefied". The voodoo priest then put the zombie to work as a slave.
> 
> Like Hanabi and Hiashi mention in the omake, the poison dose has to be just right for the process to work. Too much poison outright kills the person, while too little does nothing (whenever that happens the priest plainly says that the person's soul is "protected by the gods" and that he can't complete the zombiefication process)
> 
> For more info on the zombiefication process, read "The Serpent and the Rainbow" by Wade Davis. It's an engaging read.
> 
> Shakespeare plays started debuting in Japan on the second half of the 19th century, after the Perry expedition. That was also the time when the samurai way of life began to dissappear, so Hanabi's speech right before she stabs Naruto, makes perfect sense.
> 
> So, in short, Hanabi got inspired by "Romeo and Juliet" to create a process similar to zombiefication, which instead keeps the personality of the person intact, just in case someone needs to fake their own deaths. She also probably caused quite a few "sushi-eating-incidents" within the Hyuga Clan in order to properly develop and test it, but that's some Fridge Horror for another day (I am guessing Hiashi banned her from seeing any more Gaijin Theatre plays after he had that conversation with her)"
> 
> .
> 
> So I hope you guys liked it. A lot of work was put into this one, please review and let me know what you think.
> 
> This chapter is more than dedicated to Petran/l3nsman. We wouldn't have it if it weren't for him.
> 
> Until the next one.
> 
> Take care,
> 
> Magma


	12. One-Shot 9: Master Servant AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some relationships are forbidden but there are no rules when it comes to love.

Hinata was scared.

She didn't want to admit it but she was  _scared_.

Her fingers curled into his naked chest as he pressed her body closer to his. She buried her face into his torso, her heart thumping rapidly, in sync with his. She could hear his heart beating loudly, his hand at the curve of her back, his breathing short and ragged. She wanted to speak. She wanted to hear  _him_  speak. For him to tell her everything would be okay.

But it wasn't.

She heard bodies falling far away. Heard screams and the sounds of flesh being pierced. She heard footsteps and people running, scrambling to get away.

But she was in here with him.

 _Hiding_.

She knew he wanted to be out there fighting. She did too. But she couldn't.

She cursed the bandages covering her eyes. She had overused her Byakugan during a previous battle and it was in the process of healing when all this chaos ensued.

Her family and friends could be  _dying_  and she was in here.

She heard the sounds of fighting get closer, voices snickering joyfully as blood rained down from the fallen.

He shifted, pushing her back into the wall, his body molded against hers. She felt his fingers slip away from her back and rest at her waist, the other tightly holding a kunai. They were in a small storage closet with hardly enough room to move. Towels stocked the shelves beside them and he listened intently to the sounds of fighting as he stared at the thin, sliding door that separated the two from the rest of the disorder.

Her hair tickled his neck and he could feel her trembling against him. He felt so  _useless_. She was a capable ninja handicapped by the trait that normally made her  _strong_. He couldn't imagine what she was probably feeling.  _He_  felt useless but at least he was able to fight. She couldn't and from the way her fingers dug into his chest and her incessant shaking, he knew she did too.

There was hardly any space between them but he pressed himself further against her, his legs on either side of her. He'd be damned if he let anyone hurt her.

She felt him hold on to her tighter and she felt the coldness of his kunai near her thigh. She knew him. If  _she_  wanted to be out there fighting,  _he_  sure did.

So despite the fact that they were hiding she allowed herself to speak.

"Go," she whispered.

He jolted, looking down at the woman before him. Her head was facing unstaring at his chest, her beautiful eyes covered in stark white bandages. He heard more clashes and screams several rooms down as people rampaged through the Hyuga compound and furrowed his eyebrows at her.

" _What_?" he asked. She winced. She couldn't see his face but she could hear the anger.

"Our friends are in trouble," she whispered quickly. "My  _family_. I can't help but you can-"

"You think I'm going to leave you?" he hissed.

"No one will check the closet," she said, unconvincingly, even to herself. "Just leave me a kunai-"

"I'm not leaving you-"

"What if I order you?"

Silence.

Naruto stared down at her. He could feel her fear…her anxiety. Order him? She never  _ordered_  him.

"You are a servant of the Hyuga," she continued, her fingers shaking at his chest.

"Stop," he said abruptly.

"You are a servant of the Hyuga," she repeated. "The Hyuga are in trouble-"

"Hin-"

"The Hyuga are dying-"

"God damn it, Hina-"

"I order you to go-"

" _No,"_ Naruto curled his hand into a fist. He wanted to punch the wall but that would alert the enemies. "I'm not leaving you."

Now Hinata's hands were closed tight and she lightly beat them against his chest. "You  _have_  to help," she said, wanting more than anything to look into his blue eyes. She always found calmness and  _safety_  in them. "You are  _strong_. You can help them win-"

"At the cost of your life?" Naruto asked, his hand snaking up to her chin. He tilted her head up and he saw the her nose scrunch up just the slightest and her eyebrows knit together-the way they got when she was sad.

"I order you go leave me-"

"I quit," Naruto said simply.

Hinata was taken aback. "What?"

"I  _quit_."

"You…I-you  _can't_ -"

"I can," he said, letting his hand slip away before pressing her tightly against the wall again. "Now hush, I think I hear them getting closer."

Hinata was still in shock.  _He quit_? If these bandages weren't covering her eyes she would be blinking rapidly. His chest pressed against her and she buried her face once more, inhaling his scent. But two could play that game.

"Fine," she said. "Fine, you no longer work for the Hyuga. Then it is no longer your duty to watch over me."

She felt him tense. She felt his breath against her skin and she knew he was staring down at her. She was nervous. She tried to maintain her composure, keep her authority but she was crumbling under a gaze she couldn't even  _see_.

" _Why_  are you doing this?" he asked desperately, his voice shaking. "Do you  _want_  to die?"

"No, of course not!" she said, surprised. "I just don't want you have to waste your talents protecting  _me_  when you could be helping other people."

Naruto was silent. She could feel his hand opening and closing at her side.

"You're mad…" she whispered.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I am because you're acting like you're not important to me. That I don't care about you-"

Hinata was hurt. "No…that's not what I meant."

"Then let me do my job," he said. He knew it was harsh but his heart was aching.

Hinata was quiet and she pressed herself against him a little, her cheek pressed against his body. He let out a soft sigh and she felt his chin on her head as he pushed her gently to the wall again, shielding her from whatever could come through those doors.

"I thought you quit," she whispered, fingering a thin scar of a line she felt on his torso.

"Mm…" he pretended to think as he listened to vicious laughter and men singing violent things. She shivered at the words. Tearing people apart. Burning the compound to the ground. The people attacking them seemed crazy. "Even if I did… _not_  saying I did-"

"You did," Hinata teased lightly, jumping a bit when she heard a body slam to the floor much closer.

Naruto tightened his grip on Hinata and turned his head towards the door again. "Okay, well, either way I'm going to protect you. If not as your servant, then as your friend."

She didn't know if it was the fear coursing through her veins or the dread creeping down her neck that made her do what she did, but she tiptoed a little and pressed her lips into the hollow of his throat.

"Thank you," she said, leaning her head against him once more. She could feel heat emanating from his body and she felt the slightest tinge of glee at the thought of making him blush. Years of turning red because of him, both purposefully and not, made this feel oddly satisfying.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Hinata-"

 _Slam_.

The two froze.

Naruto turned his head slowly to look at the thin, sliding door. He could see a shadow moving about the room. He felt Hinata begin to tremble again, her fingers curled against him.

"Come out, come out," a scratchy voice sounded. "The Hyuga are falling, where's their princess?" Naruto watched the shadow flit across the room. "We checked the main families building thoroughly. We knew the  _little_  princess was out on some diplomatic duty with her father," the man continued, making a mess of the room. "But the eldest should still be here…"

Hinata heard a loud scratching sound and she could only assume the man was running a sharp weapon against the wooden walls.

"It's too bad she wasn't in her room," the man continued, chortling darkly. "We men wanted to see how she looked with her hair fanned out across the bed as we took turns with her."

Hinata did her best to try and breathe as quietly as she could but his words frightened her. She wanted to tear away the bandages from her eyes and  _fight_  the man.

"Rumor has it she's a pretty little thing," he continued, his voice getting louder. At his previous words Naruto's grip had tightened so much on her waist that she had almost gasped in pain. She was sure he didn't know what he was doing, but she could feel anger rolling off of him in waves. "There's so much to gain from stealing the Byakugan Hime. Money from the clan. The Byakugan itself."

Other voices started to get louder and the two heard laughter as men walked through the halls. They could still hear distinct sounds of fighting going on.

" _Hinata-san!"_

Hinata almost pushed Naruto away at the sound of her cousins voice yelling from far away but Naruto predicted her movements, knowing her almost better than she knew herself. His hands whipped up to her wrists, pushing them to her side and he pressed himself against her, closer than before now that her hands weren't in the way, holding her in place.

He wanted to whisper to her, tell her  _no_ , but he couldn't. Not with people lurking so close. Not with this man outside the door.

"All these people out here are branch members," another voice sounded.

"That's fine," the man with the scratchy voice said. "We just need to find the girl."

Laughter sounded. "First to find her, gets her, eh?"

If Naruto's hold from before was tight, it was nothing compared to now. She felt his nails dig into her skin, and she knew from the slight tingling she felt radiating from him, that his whiskered cheeks must have been ragged, and some of his red chakra might be leaking from anger. He had complete control over the fox demon, Kurama, sealed inside of him, but the fury he felt was uncontainable.

Hinata nudged her head against his chest and shook her hand and Naruto immediately released his grip, rubbing his hands up and down her arms in a way to apologize. She wrapped her arms around him in response, shaking, not from what he did, but at the sickening things the men were talking about. About  _her_.

The man guffawed, leaning against the closet door, his shadow darkening the little light that leaked into the room they were squeezed in. "We can all have a turn," the man said. "Fuck her good. It's her eyes that we need, after all. Her body is free game. We do with it what we wish."

That's when she felt Naruto's warmth leave her as he finally lost his self-control.

.

* * *

.

_Approximately 15 Years Ago_

"He's from the local orphanage," Hiashi spoke, staring at the young boy.

The blonde kid glared at the tall, dark haired man, whose gaze was unwavering. "How do you know that, old man?"

Hinata gasped at the disrespect. She never heard anyone talk to her father that way.

Hiashi's mouth twitched just the slightest in amusement but it was almost indiscernible. "I knew your parents," the man stated simply.

Naruto's look transformed into surprise. "You did?" he asked softly. He didn't know much about his family.

Hiashi said nothing more. Instead he turned to Ko. "You said he helped my daughter?"

Ko nodded. "Yes Hiashi-sama. He wasn't winning-"

"Hey!"

"In fact he was getting pretty beat up but Hinata-san says he stood up for her," Ko finished, ignoring Naruto's interruption.

Hinata stared at the floor, shifting her feet. Her father must have been ashamed of her, getting into trouble like that. Causing all this ruckus. "I'm sorry-" she started to say with a soft voice.

"Hinata. You are okay?" Hiashi asked. Hinata looked up, eyes widening at her father. His face was as impassive as ever but his words spoke volume. She nodded. Hiashi nodded once and turned to stare pointedly at the kid standing beside his daughter. "You. Come with me." The older man turned, not waiting for an answer.

Naruto looked surprised. He turned and looked at Ko. Then Hinata. She stared back at him, just as confused. She gave a slight shrug, not sure what was going on. A look of apprehension crossed the child's face.

"Go," Ko said kindly, giving him a light push.

Naruto trailed behind the power emanating man slowly.

He didn't want to leave that girls side. Hinata was it?

Yeah, Hinata.

He didn't want to leave her side, he thought as he walked down the hallway, still following the man. She disappeared from view, craning her neck, watching him go. She raised her hand up and gave him a small, encouraging smile.

He didn't want to leave her side. Naruto had to take several steps to keep up with Hiashi's long strides. He didn't know what the man would do. Why was he following him? He should run. But he felt as though everything was going to be okay. The man's daughter disappeared from his view and he trembled a bit. She was nice to him.

He felt safe there under her almost white-eyed gaze.

Hinata watched the whiskered kid leave her view. She was getting bullied by a couple of boys before. They were mocking her eyes, saying she was mean like all the other Hyugas. Naruto refused to let them insult her and came to her defense, getting beat up in the process. Ko arrived eventually and Hinata insisted they help the blonde boy.

It was a few weeks later that she saw him again.

.

* * *

.

"Hinata-san, your father is calling you," an older branch Hyuga lady knocked on Hinata's door. "He is in the main room."

"Thank you," Hinata said, slipping into something more appropriate than her training outfit before heading to see her father.

Ko was standing outside the door and he smiled at the young girl. "Why do you look so worried, Hinata-san?" he asked. Hinata poked her fingers together and shifted her feet. Ko smiled and opened the door for her. "Go on."

Hinata walked in and was surprised to see Naruto standing beside her father. He looked a bit different than she before. He was standing straighter and his clothes looked new. He stood beside her cousin Neji who was looking at him with distaste. She hid a smile at the differences in expression. Naruto with a big smile plastered on his face. He seemed to be trying hard to hide it but to no avail. Neji with his eyebrows furrowed, arms crossed, and lips pursed. Her father was as stoic as ever.

She approached the men, feeling small under their stares and looked down at the ground, her hands clasped tight.

"Hinata," Hiashi spoke and she looked up to meet his eyes. He was never the type of man to beat around the bush. "Naruto here has been given the job as your servant."

She was confused. She had so many of the branch Hyuga that already helped her if she needed it. And she had Ko who watched over her. "Servant?"

"Yes," Hiashi said. "Soon you will be starting to go to the Ninja Academy. Ko will not be there to watch you. Naruto will be attending as a student also."

"I don't want to trouble him while he's trying to learn-"

"And you won't," Hiashi said. "But Naruto will now be living at the Hyuga compound. He has been given a job and you are to be his master."

Hinata blushed and stared at the ground again, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She didn't want to be anyone's master. Why did she need a servant?

"Neji, please exit the room with Naruto," Hiashi ordered.

Neji nodded stiffly and left the room, Naruto trailing behind.

"Hinata," Hiashi spoke, waiting for her to meet his eye again. "I have not made Naruto your servant for your own benefit." Hinata was confused. "Naruto is not treated well by the village. He doesn't have anything to call his own. But here he will have a home, food to fill his stomach, and a purpose." Hinata looked at her father, her eyes wide. "His parents were fine people and…their son has potential. After all, he defended you did he not?"

Hinata nodded.

"Then, I trust you will do your best?"

She still did not completely understand what her job entailed but she agreed quietly.

"Good," he father said dismissively.

Hinata left the room wondering what in the world she was going to do.

.

* * *

.

It turns out she didn't have to do much.

Naruto talked enough for the both of them. He was loud, but not obnoxiously so. He was always laughing and he seemed to take it upon himself to make her laugh as well. The years went by quickly. Soon they were enrolled in the academy and when they were at school they didn't talk as much as they did at home. None of their classmates seemed to know of their relationship outside of the classroom and they liked it that way.

In the presence of the other Hyugas she was Hyuga-san, just like the rest of them.

Alone, either in the training room or out in the gardens, she was Hinata.

A lot of the time he would simply stand by the door while she went about her daily business, waiting for her to give him orders. But she never did. If she needed something she would go get it herself even though he insisted he could help.

Her cousin Neji was wary about him in the beginning. Naruto wasn't  _always_ around. He did leave the compound many days to train on his own and do other things that didn't exactly involve waiting on the Hyugas. And he had even left for a few years to train with a legendary sanin. Hinata was very proud. Eventually Neji grew to accept the boy. He was nice, in his own wacky way, and he seemed to actually care for Hinata.

Neji would watch them interacting occasionally while they were younger. Naruto would be standing at ease near the edge of the Hyuga gardens while Hinata took a casual stroll. Sometimes he would pick a flower or two and hand it to the dark haired girl with a silly grin, not understanding the meaning of the blush that grew on her face.

Hiashi made sure that the Hyuga were on good terms with many of the other important clans of the village so it was no surprise when the Uchiha boy, Sasuke, came over on occasion. Her father was friends, or at least associates, with Sasuke's parents and they had hoped that the two would hit it off.

As opposite as they were, strangely enough Naruto and Sasuke were good friends in the academy. They had a sort of love/hate relationship, but were no doubt friends. Whenever Sasuke visited though, Naruto stayed at the side. His job was to watch over Hinata and help her when she needed, not to get involved in Hyuga matters. (Don't tell the others but Hinata did allow Naruto to hang out with them. Sasuke didn't talk that much and Hinata was pretty soft spoken herself when younger and so the exuberant young blonde was the perfect match for them).

She didn't tell Naruto, but she did miss him a whole lot when he left for his one on one training. Sasuke was over a lot then, including his friend Sakura, and her friends Kiba and Shino but the latter less so because, frankly, the Hyuga didn't have much to gain from those kids. (Hiashi was happy his daughter was making friends even if he didn't display it).

"Uchiha-san, welcome," Hinata said, smiling pleasantly.

"Where's the dobe?" Sasuke asked, hands stuffed in his pockets as he gave Neji a brief nod. Naruto was always lingering wherever Hinata was.

"Naruto-kun? He left about a week ago."

Sasuke walked over to one of the training posts on the Hyuga training grounds. "Well, at least it'll be quieter."

"Sasuke-san!" a loud voice sounded from insider the house.

Hinata brought a hand up to her mouth and giggled. "Not with Hanabi around, Uchiha-san."

"Uchiha-san?" her younger sister walked into the field, holding several kunai in her hands. "Hinata-neechan you think you'd be more comfortable with calling him by his name now."

"Hanabi!"

"She's right," Sasuke said, taking a kunai from the younger girl before throwing it at the post, perfectly hitting the target.

Hinata frowned. She had known him for years now. "Alright, Sasuke-san, would you like to spar?"

The dark haired boy turned to face her. "Sure. But I won't go easy on you."

"Thank you, I wouldn't want you to," she said politely, walking some distance away from him. She was ready. She wanted to train hard just like she was sure Naruto-kun was doing.

.

* * *

.

They were fifteen when Naruto had returned from his training.

Hinata was combing her younger sisters beautiful, brown hair, laughing and joking quietly when she felt a familiar chakra presence reveal itself.

_Could it be?_

She turned her head quickly, just as the blonde boy- or should she say man- slid open the door leading to the Hyuga gardens.

Hanabi's hair fell limp in her hands as she stared at Naruto. He stood in the doorframe, grinning brightly, eyes squeezed shut. He looked the same, but he also looked different. He was taller, much taller, and his shoulders had broadened, his face more angular but the way he carried himself was the same. He emanated light and she felt herself freeze as he walked towards her.

Hanabi turned around, wondering what caused her sister to stop. The young girls pale eyes widened.

"Hina-"

"Naruto!" Hanabi shouted, scrambling up onto her feet, her hair flowing freely behind her. "You're back!"

Naruto smiled and nodded briskly. "Yup, and I'm stronger than ever," he said playfully.

Hanabi placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? How about a fight, Naruto?"

Naruto laughed loudly, messing up the young girls hair. "I'll take you up on that offer, Hanabi-san, but not right now."

"Hanabi," Hinata said standing up straight. "Stop teasing him, he must be tired from his journey."

Naruto gave Hinata an appreciative glance. She wasn't the only one to notice the other had changed in the few years he was gone. But before he could speak with her Hanabi quickly cut in.

"Ah, I just wanted to test his abilities," Hanabi said, rapidly tying her hair into a loose ponytail. "It's Naruto's job to watch over you, no? He has to be strong then."

Naruto frowned, taking in the child's words. "If I remember correctly, Hinata's strong as well. She never really needed my help."

Hanabi grinned evilly, indicating that Naruto move closer. Naruto leaned down and Hanabi spoke quietly. "Don't say those things," she said. "If my sister doesn't need your help what reason would we have to keep you?"

Naruto quickly pulled himself away. The girl was teasing but she was right.

"Hanabi!" Hinata exclaimed. "You know better than to say such things without thinking."

Hanabi laughed and shrugged, waving at the two. "Okay, okay. Well, Naruto, don't think I'll forget about our spar."

Naruto chuckled. "Okay, but I'm warning you. I have lots of tricks up my sleeve."

Suddenly Hanabi's demeanor changed to serious. "Good. Because there have been a lot of threats towards the Hyuga lately," she said quietly, her eyes moving towards Hinata's surprised ones. Hanabi gave Hinata a look, as if saying he had to know. The girl waved at them before heading back inside, closing the door shut behind her.

Hinata let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't worry yourself over that, Naruto-kun," she said. "My sister doesn't know how to hold her tongue."

But Naruto  _was_  concerned. "What did she mean there are threats towards the Hyuga?"

Hinata shook her head not wanting to go into more detail. "Tell me about your training."

Naruto wasn't quite ready to let the topic go but he relented. He'd talk to her about it later. For now he wanted their reunion to be a pleasant one.

.

* * *

.

It was a few weeks later that Naruto remembered the looming threat over the Hyuga. There was knocking at the front door and Naruto went to open it, feeling a familiar chakra.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto started, grinning broadly. His old friend didn't return his greeting, instead he pushed him aside, storming inside. "What the he-"

"Where's Hinata?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He assumed he was here for Hinata, he often was. But now he was just being plain rude. Naruto may be a servant for the Hyuga's but he was still  _friends_  with this guy. (Why? Who knows. But Naruto was fond of him).

"In her room," Naruto said slowly. "Why are you acting so weird? You're dressed in mission clothes."

"Just came back from a mission with Sakura and Sai," Sasuke said bluntly, walking past a few branch member Hyugas. They nodded politely to the Uchiha but he resolutely ignored them. Naruto followed behind him as they made it to the next landing.

"You can't just barge into her room, Sasuke," Naruto said, sliding in front of him as they approached her bedroom.

Sasuke stopped and gave Naruto a heated look. "You don't know what happened do you?"

"No," Naruto said, confused. "What-"

"Get out of my way," Sasuke said, pushing him aside. Naruto let him go. He was out of the loop and he knew it. But he sure as hell didn't like it.

"At least knock-" Naruto started but Sasuke pushed open the door to Hinata's room, making his way inside.

Naruto grumbled to himself before following him. Hinata was sitting at her desk, putting drops of medicine in her eyes.

"So they did get to you," Sasuke said, standing with arms crossed a few feet into her room.

"I thought I heard you two in the hall," Hinata said, blinking rapidly as she capped her medicine. "Sasuke-kun, I trust your mission went well?"

The sharingan user just nodded, looking at her with a disgruntled expression. Naruto stared at the bottle of medicine on her dresser. He didn't know she was sick…how did Sasuke? And did she call him Sasuke- _kun_?

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto finally said, not liking the way the two dark haired ninjas were looking at each other, as if not wanting to be the first one to break. Hinata tore her gaze away from Sasuke's black eyes and onto Naruto's blue ones, her expression softening. "Hinata, why didn't you tell me your eyes were hurt? And what did Sasuke mean, they got to you?  _Who_  got to you?" he didn't understand. He was with her practically every day since he got back.

"You didn't tell him?" Sasuke asked, surprise making his way onto his face.

Hinata picked at her lavender coat. "I didn't want to trouble him."

"Hinata, he's  _supposed_  to watch over you."

"What  _happened_?" Naruto asked sharply, wanting more than anything to just shout. He was starting to worry.

"I'm so sorry about your family, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said softly.

Sasuke turned away from her and started walking towards the door. "Just be careful."

Then he was gone and Naruto stood alone in the room with Hinata.

And he  _still_  didn't know what happened.

"Hinata-"

"Sasuke-kun's clan is dead," Hinata said sadly, looking up at Naruto with desolate eyes.

"Wh-what?"

"While you were gone there was a big assault against the Uchiha clan," Hinata said, explaining quickly. "It was sudden. It all happened quickly in one night. Rumor says the Uchiha were betrayed by one of their own. These people…they wanted their eyes. Of course the Uchiha wouldn't allow that. They are- they were a proud clan, the Uchiha. Much like the Hyuga," she said, swallowing tightly. "I'm just repeating what I heard. They didn't know who they could trust that night. One thing led to another and…Sasuke-kun was lucky he was out on a mission."

Her words scratched at his mind. They didn't make sense. How could they all be…

Naruto shook his head.

"Okay…fine," he said, sounding upset. He would talk to Sasuke later. "Then what about  _you_? Why's he all worked up? And why the hell are you using medicine?" He knew he sounded angry. He  _felt_  angry. But he was also starting to worry about her. Hinata was clearly in  _some_  type of trouble and she wasn't even letting him help. "Hinata, it's my  _job_  to help you. Please, just…just tell me."

Hinata hesitated but the look on his face made her speak. "During your absence someone had tried to kidnap me-"

" _What?_ " Naruto interrupted, looking outraged.

Hinata stood quickly, calming him down. "It was no big deal, really. But I had strained my eyes and that's why I've been using eye drops for the past few weeks. I'm feeling much better now."

"But why did they…?"

Hinata shrugged. "We think it's an attack on the Hyuga clan."

"And you didn't tell me this  _why_?" Naruto asked, looking hurt more than angry.

"I didn't want to worry you-"

"Well, that's a dumb reason," Naruto said with a frown. Hinata looked as though she had more to say but her mouth was set in a thin line. "There's more," Naruto stated, his eyebrows knitting together.

Hinata swallowed, averting her gaze, a light pink making its way to her cheeks. "Ah…well, there has been talk from the council about…about marrying me off."

Naruto was silent.  _Marrying her off_? "To who?" he asked, his throat suddenly feeling dry.

Hinata shuffled her feet. "They have been looking for people with power," she said softly. "Someone who could keep me safe apparently-"

"That's  _my_  job," Naruto said incredulously. "And you're still so young-"

"I'm not getting married just yet," Hinata said with surprise. "But…soon."

"Who?" Naruto felt something deep in his chest but he couldn't quite place it. It was making him feel uncomfortable and he did  _not_  like where this conversation was going.

Hinata sighed. "The council has found some eligible…nobles in many villages that would be happy to take me…"

"Well,  _yeah,_ " Naruto said, sounding miffed. "Those old perverts would love to get their hands on you. Your father  _can't_  have agreed to that."

"No, he didn't," Hinata said finally looking back up at him. "That's why he has arranged for me to marry Sasuke-kun."

The world came to a halt.

 _Sasuke_?

"I don't understand," Naruto said, staring into her pale eyes. He  _did_  understand but it didn't make any sense. "Why would-"

"He has lost his clan," Hinata said softly. "If I married him he would have a family again."

"He has his  _friends_ ," Naruto insisted. "He has all of us."

Hinata ignored him. "And he is a powerful ninja-"

"- _I'm_  strong-"

"The council has also agreed to the union between the Uchiha and the Hyuga."

Naruto clenched his fists together. "And  _Sasuke_  agreed to this?"  _None_  of this made sense. He was pretty certain that betraying bastard had some sort of feelings for another friend of theirs. A woman that was most certainly  _not_  Hinata. Naruto didn't understand why he was feeling sick to the stomach. Why the thought of Hinata marrying someone else, marrying his  _best fucking friend_ , made him want to throw up.

"We're children of great clans," Hinata said, once again not meeting his gaze. "We have duties to fulfill and he had known about this prospective match since we were children. Yes. He agreed."

Naruto knew his mouth was open. He could feel disbelief rolling off of him and felt his demon friend inside his gut stir. His words stumbled out of his mouth faster than he could think.

" _I_ don't agree."

Hinata looked at him with a sad expression and she looked like the next few words she uttered caused her pain. "Naruto-kun, you are…you are merely a servant of the Hyuga. What you want doesn't matter."

Naruto felt like she punched him. He was crumbling and he didn't know  _why_.

.

* * *

.

"You told me you loved me," Naruto said one day when they were alone. A few years had passed since their horrible conversation about Hinata's future.

Hinata froze, her hands stopping as she pressed flowers into a small book.

"That was a long time ago, Naruto-kun," she said, her voice low.

Ever since that day their relationship was strained. Whenever Kiba visited he liked to tease them by saying he could feel the sexual tension between the two. Neither of them would crack a smile at those words.

Their relationship was hanging on by a thread for a long while but it was when there was another brief attack on the Hyuga did the thread really stretch. Naruto was fighting his hardest and Hinata was afraid he was going to die. She didn't know why she said it; she was engaged for goodness sake. But she did. The words came tumbling out before she was taken down by the enemy, skewering her like a piece of meat.

_"I love you, Naruto-kun."_

The words still echoed in his mind but after that incident the Hyuga increased their security as much as they could. Naruto was sent out on mission after mission and hardly had time to return back to the compound. It didn't make much sense to him. He wanted to be there and try to help but there was a lot of things going on in the ninja world other than the stuff that happened with the Hyuga that he had to help deal with that as well.

He was normally put on a team with his friend Sakura and it was with her help did he really learn what he was feeling. She had heard about Sasuke's engagement with Hinata as well and she didn't approve of it. They found a lot of time to complain about it, usually playfully but every word had a hint of truth.

It took some time but he eventually did figure out his feelings.

But he couldn't act on them.

And he absolutely  _loathed_  it.

Naruto was a very expressive person. When he returned to the compound it was always a bit difficult for him to keep his mouth shut about his feelings. As much as he wanted to he knew he couldn't get involved with the eldest Hyuga daughter. She was engaged to his  _best_ friend. And frankly, she was way out of his league.

But deep inside he knew she felt the same way. Not in a pompous sort of way, but because she had told him she did. Even  _if_  that was long ago, at least he knew at some point she loved him. That's not to say she wasn't his friend, she sure was, but she was also simply taken.

"Naruto, please leave," Sasuke would say when he comes to visit.

Naruto would clench his teeth, his fingers would curl around themselves, but he'd square his shoulders and march right out of whatever room he was previously in, leaving Sasuke and Hinata alone.

They weren't  _married_ yet, why do they have to be  _alone_? He'd stand outside the room, back against the wall, arms crossed, glowering at the ground. He was supposed to serve Hinata, help her when she needed it. He was so used to being in her presence whenever he was at the compound. But now whenever Sasuke came-

"Sasuke is over?" Hanabi would say if she happened across him, her face mostly impassive but he could see a hint of pity on her face. Was it pity? He didn't know, he was too busy being angry.

The touch of her hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts.

What had happened?

Oh. Yeah.

_That was a long time ago, Naruto-kun._

"Even so," Naruto said, clearing his throat. He stared unblinkingly into her eyes, his heart beating fast. He hoped his face didn't betray how  _scared_  he really was to learn the answer to his next question. "But do you still feel that way?"

Hinata moved her hand away from him like she was burned.

"Naruto-kun, I'm supposed to get married in less than a year," she said softly, tearing her gaze away from him.

"That doesn't answer the question."

She saw her shoulders tense just the slightest, a light pink creeping its way up her neck. She seemed flustered, the way she got when they were children.

"Please leave," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I would like to take a bath before dinner." Lies. "I'll-"

"Do you need any help?" Naruto asked. He was teasing her, she knew it, but his face was set in a straight line. She could  _hear_  the laughter in his voice. He always did make jokes when he was anxious.

"I'll ask for you when I'm ready," she finished.

Naruto nodded and just to goad her, he bowed. "Yes, Hinata- _sama_."

He saw her eyes widen and her brows furrow at his words but she pressed her lips together to silence herself.

That's okay.

He got his answer.

.

* * *

.

Naruto marched over to his Uchiha friends home that day determined to get him to talk.

"Teme!" he yelled as he forcefully entered the home, stopping only when his friend shot him a glare.

"Why are you so loud?" he asked, frowning.

Naruto stood there. Now that he was here he didn't know what he came here to say.

What was a guy to say to his best friend marrying the girl he loved?

"Why?" Naruto finally croaked out, all his anger leaving him. He suddenly felt empty, like a breeze would be able to knock him to the ground. He felt  _weak_.

Sasuke saw that and his heated look simmered away. He wasn't ignorant. He could read his friends feelings well.

"I don't want to you know."

"Then,  _why_?"

Sasuke sighed and resumed what he was doing before Naruto came barging into his home. He strapped on a holster and filled it with sharp kunai, feeling Naruto's eyes on him as he worked.

"You don't under-"

"Don't tell me what I do and don't get, teme," Naruto snapped. " _Tell_  me why you're marrying Hinata."

Sasuke was silent. Naruto bristled.

"Do you love her?"

Sasuke paused before slowly moving his eyes to meet Naruto's. "No." His answer was firm.

Naruto swallowed thickly, taking a shuddering breath. "Sasuke-"

"Naruto, she's my friend. I care about her." The blondes eyes sharpened and Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes. "But I don't  _love_  her. Not the love you are thinking."

"Feeling," Naruto whispered. "I  _feel_  it. I don't  _think_ it."

Sasuke bent down to tighten the straps on his boots. "I'm going on a mission," he stated. "I'll be gone for a while. Months." He looked up and saw mixed emotions on his friends face. "Hinata's doing this for her clan. And she thinks she's doing it for me as well, which is stupid. I'm fine and I tell her that."

"You spend a lot of time alone with her."

Sasuke growled under his breath. "To  _talk_  to her. Neither one of us wants to do this, you know."

Naruto wanted to stomp his foot. "Then  _why-_ "

"Our clans-"

"Your clan is-" Naruto bit his tongue and looked away, regret and shame filling him. How could he even think of saying those words. Sasuke must be furious.

But he felt a steady grip on his shoulder and turned to see Sasuke's dark eyes boring into his own, no fury evident in them.

"I don't  _own_  her," he said tightly. "She is free to do what she wants." Naruto looked like he was about to interrupt but stopped short at the look Sasuke gave him. "You know how she feels about you-"

"I'm not-"

"She's a Hyuga and she's following the Hyuga rules," Sasuke continued. "They want her to marry someone  _strong_. Someone up to her strength." he saw Naruto open his mouth. "I  _know_  you're strong, dobe. They are looking for someone that can take care of her, help her-"

"What about  _love_  her? Doesn't she need  _that_?" Naruto asked with exasperation. "Someone to talk to and laugh with."

Sasuke paused. "That would be nice but that doesn't always get taken into account in arranged marriages."

"But-"

"Naruto, listen to me," Sasuke said. "I'm not the only one that fits those criteria. And once she marries off, she can take her husbands last name. She won't necessarily be a Hyuga anymore."

Naruto stared at his friend. Was this Sasuke giving him permission? His blessing? Naruto wasn't sure.

But he felt  _better_.

"Thank you."

Sasuke nodded, getting serious. "Rumor has it that the people that massacred my clan and the ones hunting the Hyuga are starting to rile up again."

"I'll take care of her."

"You better," Sasuke said. "Prove you're more than a servant to the Hyuga's. Prove you can be what she needs."

"Need?" Naruto asked. "She doesn't  _need_  me-"

"Prove to the _Hyuga elders_ , you are what she needs," Sasuke amended. "Confirm with  _Hinata_  that you are what she  _wants_."

Naruto looked at his friend gratefully. "Thank you," he repeated.

Sasuke just nodded.

"Now get out of my house."

.

* * *

.

Sasuke was right.

It wasn't too long after that that there was another attack. But surprisingly it wasn't exactly against the Hyuga's. There was unrest in the ninja world and Konoha was forced to go to war. Hinata had ended up overusing her Byakgan in an attempt to protect her friends. Her vision went blurry and then went dark and her chakra felt like it sputtered out.

The battle had ended but she needed time to heal.

She didn't realize she had caught the attention of another man while fighting on the field. A man who cared for nothing but her eyes.

It was him who sent these men raging through the Hyuga compound. It was his fault Hinata and Naruto were hiding in that closet right now. He waited until the opportune time to send in these bandits, ninja, and vicious men and women to go cause chaos. He was patient. He waited until her father, Hiashi, left with his younger daughter, Hanabi, along with some of the most capable Hyuga to go handle some business in another village.

How did Hinata get to Naruto's room? Why wasn't she in the main family's side of the compound?

It was the middle of the night and it wasn't uncommon for her to suffer through nightmares during that brief war. She knew Naruto had them too.

Naruto was working for the Hyuga. For her. It was his job to help her with whatever she needed, right? That's what she told herself every time she snuck over to the servants quarters and knocked gently on his door.

He was always quick to open it. It was only the first time he was slow. He opened the door, groggily rubbing his eyes, wondering who would wake him up in the dead hours of the night. He saw her standing there, nervous, almost ready to flee. She apologized profusely, telling him she didn't know why she came here. She shouldn't have. Sorry to bother him.

He was quick to hush her, telling her it's okay. He had those nightmares too.

The first time was weird. He offered her his bed, saying he would help keep the nightmares away. She wouldn't allow it. She came here, bothered him, and woke him from his slumber- no. They would share.

These nights grew from weekly to daily.

He was able to sense her chakra easily, making its way to him and was always ready with open arms.

He loved this woman, why would he ever turn her away?

He awoke every morning with his arm wrapped around her; their bodies seemingly gravitated towards one another during the night.

Soon, they don't know how it happened, but their innocent encounters grew to something more.

She was already in his bed when he woke up in a cold sweat, calling out her name. He remembered feeling her chakra disappear during the battle. How much it pained him to not be able to go to her. She sat up with him, asking him what was wrong. What she could do to help.

He wanted to hold her. To make sure she was there, and she let him. She eased into his embrace, his fingers digging into her as he gripped her tightly. Her face was buried into the crook of his neck and she didn't know what compelled her but she allowed her lips to brush lightly against his skin.

That's how it started.

Neither of them know who kissed the other first but they didn't really care. Soft caresses escalated to touches and fondles. Light kisses grew to hot ones. Their names on each others lips were no longer simply said, but were gasped out, coaxed by one another.

At first they both felt ashamed at what they had done. What they were doing.

Hinata was  _engaged_  wasn't she?

But was she?

If anything her fiancé rooted for her and Naruto.

Any shame they felt was quick to vanish when they slipped into bed the next night.

She was always gone by morning. Slinking through the compound back to her respective room. The first time he felt her leave his side, warmth seeping away, he sat up as she pulled on the clothes he had taken off of her just hours ago, asking her what she was doing.

She wouldn't meet his eyes but he could see from the dim lighting of the moon that her cheeks were red so he averted his gaze, allowing her some sense of modesty. He picked at the blankets pooled on his lap as she got dressed. It was late, he had said. He told her to come back to bed but she shook her head and tiptoed out.

Never had his bed felt so big and empty before.

The first few mornings after would be awkward. The  _very_  first was the strangest. She erupted into blushes every time she made eye contact with him. If he wanted to hold her before, it was nothing compared to after. He took his job even more seriously, keeping an eye on her, being the first to volunteer if she needed something.

But then another scuffle broke out. It was months later and everyone had just started to relax. By then Naruto was sure he had every bit of Hinata engraved in his mind. Their nocturnal encounters still continued with the premise that they were suffering through nightmares. They  _were_  but they also just grew accustomed to sleeping in each others arms. He felt a surge of protectiveness and possessiveness whenever she was around.

So Naruto was furious when he heard what had happened. Hinata was on a mission. It was supposed to be a short one. Simple and quick. But those people targeting their clan were vicious and restless. They attacked her and her team, ambushed them while they were weak and tired as they returned to Konoha.

She returned home with bandages around her eyes. Naruto stuck to her like glue. Now she really needed his help, though she wouldn't admit it. He'd push things closer to her when he saw her groping blindly. He'd nudge things out of her way while she was walking. He was her shadow and she felt safer knowing he was around.

The night started off innocent. Even with bandages around her eyes she knew the Hyuga compound well. She easily but carefully navigated her way to Naruto's room. Unbeknownst to her, her cousin Neji knew about what was happening between the two and while Naruto was sleeping  _he_ would be the one to silently help her along her path, leaving the lovers alone once he was sure she would get to her destination.

Now she was tucked against him, her back to his chest, breathing deeply in sleep. He moved his hand to pull her closer, accidently brushing against the thin fabric covering her breast. He felt her shift, pushing against him and he pressed his hand against her chest, her hair ticking at his chin.

The time he spent with her just reinforced his feelings. Every time he touched her he knew he wanted no one else to do the same. Every time he elicited a moan from her he wanted to hear it again and again. He wanted to be the only one to hear it. So when he learned that she had to take birth control pills (all kunoichi did when they reached a certain age) in case a mission went wrong he was furious. He didn't even want to think about it.

Still half asleep his fingertips grazed at the underside of her breasts. He moved down to press his lips against her neck and he finally felt Hinata arch against his touch. She was starting to awake, her breathing hitched.

"Naruto-kun…?" she mumbled out, her eyes fluttering behind her bandages.

He kissed her neck with more fervor now that she was awake, his hands rounding over the swell of her breast. He was aroused now and she could feel him poking against her back. He rolled his palm over her covered chest, her skin feeling hot and soft. He scooted closer, as close as he could and this time slipped his hands into her robe, past her stomach, back to grazing her breasts.

Hinata started to rub her thighs together in an attempt to satiate her ache, his name leaving her lips in sleepy whispers. She rubs up against him on instinct and he inhales sharply in response, moving his hand down to her hips.

It was slow work, both of them still partially in the realm of sleep but engrossed in their passion. Their clothes were removed, her back still pressed snuggly against him and he slid into her slowly, groaning into the back of her neck. Her hands clutched at the pillows beside her as her legs moved to accommodate him better. He held her for a moment and moved only when she pushed her bottom further against him. One hand molded against her breast, he moved inside of her drawing out those quiet moans and pleasing sighs he loved to hear so much.

Soon the steady pace felt achingly slow for the both of them and Hinata found herself on her stomach, lying flat against the mattress, Naruto pressed against her, moving faster and faster inside of her. She bit her lip, her cheek pressed against the pillow, her hands above her head. She may not be able to see him but could feel him, all of him. His hard chest against the curve of her back, his legs against hers, one of his hands resting tightly on top of hers, the other sandwiched between the bed and her breasts.

Naruto searched for her lips, kissing her breathless as he continued to move with her. The friction against the bed and Naruto pumping into her was starting to become too much. She arched into him, her mouth open in a silent cry as he felt her spasm around him. He grunted into her ear, sucking on her earlobe as his name sputtered out of her mouth.

He licks the sweat on her back, feeling himself starting to come close, his thrusts becoming erratic as he rumbles out her name. It's only when he finishes, spilling himself inside of her, pulling her sweaty body flush against his own as she breaths heavily, trembling from exertion, does he whisper the words he wants to say out loud to her.

"I love you, Hinata."

She hears him each night and whenever he says it, she falls deeper for him. She clings to him, hiding her face against his chest.

She has to. Her face would give away her feelings.

But it can't happen.

He's the servant and she's the master.

 _I love you too, Naruto-kun_ , she thinks every time.

.

* * *

.

Hinata woke up later that night but didn't know why. With her eyes wrapped up it felt like all her other senses worked on overdrive. She could feel Naruto's chest rising and falling, his arm draped lazily over her shoulder, his fingers brushing against her bare back. His scent, so distinctively Naruto, invaded her nose. She sighed contentedly wanting nothing more than to stay in his arms but something stopped her from falling back asleep.

Hinata sighed softly, forcing herself to sidle out of his embrace. She felt Naruto shift, mumbling in his sleep. She searched blindly for her clothes and slipped her arm through what she hoped was her robe.

"Here," she heard him say, his voice still deep with sleep, hoarse and low and sending pleasant shivers down her spine. She felt his fingers work the piece of clothing onto her, his fingers stopping gently on her waist, putting just enough pressure to signal her to turn. She did and he helped to tie the robe shut, working slowly, lingering against her skin. "It's still early for you to go, no?"

"I just felt a bit uneasy," she said truthfully. "Something woke me up."

Naruto stared at her silently. "Worried?"

Her lips turned to a frown, her eyebrows scrunching together. "I'm not sure? I just feel…"

"Anxious?"

She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Hinata felt him move again, the bed creaking slightly. She heard him move around the room and the sound of fabric against skin. He was more than likely slipping on a pair of pants. The bed pushed down again and she felt his heat as he sat beside her.

"You're always welcome to stay you know."

She sat still for a second. She wanted to, she really did but no matter how good it felt it also felt wrong. She was about to lean in for a kiss when she held herself back. They touched each other only in the throe of passion; afterwards it felt as though it was forbidden.

Naruto watched her conflicting expressions with slight amusement before she turned and walked slowly to the door. All playfulness vanished and he was on his feet in an instant.

"Hinata, just stay a bit longer?" he asked, gently grabbing her hand in his.

She looked thoughtful but her answer was immediate. "Okay."

Naruto pulled the blankets over her before wrapping his arm over the soft cloth that covered her waist. She allowed herself to snuggle against his chest, telling herself she would stay only for a little while longer and then sneak back over to her side of the compound.

She had only just drifted off to sleep once more when the shouts started.

The men invading the Hyuga compound were relying on stealth. At first. They snuck around, injured, and unfortunately killed many people while searching for Hinata.

The shouting woke them up with a start. Even half asleep, Naruto instinctively moved to shield Hinata from anything that could be a threat. The sound of weapons clashing and people falling grew louder and Naruto quickly grabbed a kunai he kept near his bed to arm himself, quickly ushering Hinata to a nearby storage closet. He was going to close the door once he saw her safely inside but even without seeing her eyes he could tell she was terrified. She couldn't see. She couldn't fight.

So he slipped inside with her.

.

* * *

.

And now they were here.

He briefly thought about using clones but was afraid they would be traced back to here, his mind more preoccupied with other things. Naruto wondering with dread about what would have happened if he had allowed Hinata to leave moments ago. What would have happened if she didn't come to his room tonight. What would have happened if she was alone, hardly able to defend herself, far on the other side of the compound.

Naruto fuming with anger at the words those men were speaking.

_"Fuck her good. It's her eyes that we need, after all. Her body is free game. We do with it what we wish."_

He moved.

Naruto stabbed the kunai straight through the thin door of the closet, right into the perpetrators back. The mans scream was cut off quickly. Naruto pulled the weapon out, sliding the door open, and held it to his throat, throwing menacing glances at the rest of the enemies in the room, as if daring them to move.

The man in his arms was on his knees not a second later, a pool of blood forming on the floor. Naruto moved quickly, knocking out anyone who came in his path.

He was  _mad_. Their words kept echoing in his mind. He kept remembering the way she trembled in his arms, from  _fear_  not from the usual feelings he charmed out of her while they were hidden away from the world.

More men streamed into the room, attracted by the loud sounds and unfortunately one was able to slip past Naruto. Hinata had her back pressed against the numerous towels behind her, straining her ears to get a feel of what was going on when she thought she felt the air shift in front of her. She shot out her hand on instinct, sending a burst of chakra into the person in front of her. She heard a man grunt out in pain and she tried to kick him but he grabbed her leg mid-swing and gave it a pull, causing her to tumble to the ground.

Hinata landed on her back and she felt pressure on her stomach, the air from her lungs whooshing out of her. She wanted to claw the bandages from her eyes. She wanted to use her Byakugan. She wanted to get this man _off_ her.

She could feel his hot breath on her face, her legs trapped by his. But her arms were free.

"What's the Hyuga hime doing in the servants quarters?" he snickered. She could feel something sharp digging into her side. "What a pretty little robe. And that blonde kid isn't even wearing a shirt," he continued, leaning closer to her. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened here."

She sent out her hand flying, hoping to land a hit. Her aim was true; she felt her palm make contact with the bottom of his chin, sending his head back. She prepared to strike again, predicting he would lash out at her but suddenly his weight was gone. She heard him yelp as he was dragged away from her, slammed to the ground. Naruto's voice was low and deadly but held authority, seething with wrath, as he dealt with the man that dared touch what wasn't his.

Hinata felt a hand on her shoulder and was about to attack again when the man spoke.

"Hinata-sama, are you alright?"

Hinata almost let out a cry of relief. She wasn't even embarrassed to be caught by him in Naruto's room. He was okay and that's all that mattered. "Neji-niisan!" Her cousin got her on her feet, leading her out of the room but she resisted. "No, we can't! Naruto-kun's still fighting."

"He'll be fine," Neji insisted. His pale eyes glanced around the bloodstained room and he was happy for the moment that Hinata couldn't see the violence her lover was capable off. "Believe me."

Hinata did but her shoulders were still tense. She couldn't relax. The sounds of fighting had seemed to finally die down. It felt as though they were walking for a long time but she knew that wasn't so. "What's going on now?" she asked once silence had enveloped them. She felt the cool night air hit her skin and only just realized they must be outside.

"They are dead," Neji said.

Hinata felt cold. The two had been standing outside for a while and she didn't know where Naruto disappeared to. "They?"

"Those men. A few Hyuga. But mostly those men."

Then suddenly, cutting through the silence were loud explosions once more. Fighting had erupted somewhere further away. The sounds were loud but something told her the fight wasn't taking place in the village. She held her tongue, she would ask her questions soon, but right now she was too busy worrying about-

Another  _boom_  interrupted her thoughts and she could feel the ground tremble and hear trees falling and stones cracking.

And then as soon as the sounds started they ended.

"What did they want?" Hinata asked with dread, but she knew the answer.

She heard Neji sigh beside her. "You," he said. "Specifically your eyes."

Hinata bit her lip. She knew why. The Byakugan, why else? "But why  _me_?"

Neji didn't answer and it made her nervous. (She would learn later, from Naruto himself that it was because the man behind the attack had grown, for lack of a better term,  _fond_  of her). It was so quiet now. She could hear the Hyuga running around inside the home trying to fix the mess that was caused but it still felt eerily quiet.

"Hinata-sama, I will talk to your father once he returns," Neji said.

This surprised Hinata. Nothing she asked prompted that sort of reply. "I'm sorry?"

"Naruto has proved on more than one occasion that he is a capable ninja," Neji said with crossed arms. "He works hard and is a good man. He would treat you right. He's strong and has a lot of potential. And most importantly…you both care for each other."

"Neji-niisan…"

"He's fighting the man behind the attack," Neji continued. "The battle is over and I see him returning." She had forgotten that even though she herself couldn't make use of her Byakugan, Neji must be using his own.

"Is he okay?"

"A bit bruised but I'm sure he's been through worse," Neji answered. "And he's looking for you."

Hinata couldn't help but blush a little.

"I'm sure he's sensed you." Neji cleared his throat. "I'm going to go see to the repairs and make sure everyone is alright." Hinata felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hanabi has been rooting for you two for as long as I can remember. And your father will be happy with your choice, Hinata."

Before she could speak a word Neji left her side.

She didn't even have a chance to feel alone when she heard his voice calling out her name. He sounded worried and he was next to her in an instant, checking for injuries, asking if she was okay. She let him, her mind elsewhere. Thinking about what Neji had said. And what Sasuke had told her.

They were right.

There was nothing to be afraid of. There was nothing wrong with her choice.

It was right.

And finally, she returned his words. She wished he could see her eyes but she hoped he could sense what she felt. She hoped the words he uttered all those nights, the words she would say after so long to him, would simply be  _enough_.

"I love  _you_ , Naruto-kun."

Her heart was beating fast now, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. She wanted him to speak. She wanted to  _know_.

Hinata felt his calloused hand cup her cheek, tenderly, softly. She felt him move closer to her, finally able to hold her in the open. No more secret nights. No more whispered feelings.

"I know," he said.

She could hear the smile in his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may write another Master/Servant AU one day different from this one. Maybe taking place during the times of kings and queens. Hinata could be blind. Endless possibilities! Maybe. I'm always open to suggestions.
> 
> Okay, this is an AU. The little section I wrote about the Uchiha massacre, the details really aren't important. I don't know if Itachi betrayed them. It honestly doesn't matter. It isn't my intention to write about the Uchiha's. I just wrote it to move the rest of the story forward. This is, after all, a story about Naruto and Hinata, so please don't fret too much about what exactly went on during that time.
> 
> If you didn't guess the guy that wanted specifically Hinata's eyes was Toneri.
> 
> Another long one.  
> Thanks as always and take care,
> 
> Magma


	13. One-Shot 10: Spy AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were one of the best teams The Agency had ever seen. Until they broke one of their most important rules…don't fall in love with your partner.

She couldn't help it.

With steady hands she clipped the elegant chain around her neck, resting her fingers on the small pendant that pressed against the hollow of her neck.

A small swirl decorated the piece of jewelry, colored a pretty orange.

She sighed.

She couldn't help it. This was her weakness. Even undercover, this was something she couldn't leave behind.

" _Take it off, Hinata_ ," her friend hissed in her ear.

" _Yes, it doesn't go with your outfit_ ," said a calmer voice.

"Why not?" she asked solemnly, looking at herself in the mirror. What she saw, they saw, and she was staring directly at her necklace. "I think it adds a pop of color, don't you?"

She heard Kiba sigh. "Fine, it's your head."

He didn't mean it and she knew that.

"Last time," she said softly. "I promise."

And she meant it.

She kept it because it reminded her of her old partner. They were once one of the best teams The Agency had ever seen until they broke one of their most important rules.

"How do I look?" she asked with a small smile, raising her hands slightly. The dark purple dress, almost black, fit to her curves. Arms bare, halter styled glittering top, and plunging back emphasized her pale skin. Her hair was gathered up in a tasteful bun, eyes lined and lips colored just enough to make men take a second glance as she walked by.

" _Beautiful,"_  Shino said.  _"Be careful."_

It wasn't often nowadays that she went out into the field to do a mission. She was taking over for Kiba, who had badly injured himself in a previous mission and was now stuck on desk duty with their buddy Shino. Normally it would be Hinata whispering in his ear, carefully warning him about incoming enemies, helping hack into systems when needed.

But before she was given a job as an analyst she frequently traversed the fields with her old partner, Naruto.

She grasped at the chain around her neck once more as memories took hold of her mind.

" _Hinata?"_

"I'm good," she said, taking a deep breath. She checked to make sure none of her gear was visible through the dress she wore and that all her hidden weapons were disguised securely in her small purse.

" _Your ride will be here in exactly three minutes_ ," Kiba said.

Hinata briskly left her hotel room, her heart beating fast. It felt like a long time since she was able to do something like this again. She had to admit she missed the rush. The surge of adrenaline that she got in dire situations. It was different being a bug in someone's ear versus experiencing it yourself.

She got in the limousine and shut the door behind her, letting out a deep sigh.

She wasn't used to doing these missions alone.

.

* * *

.

_Five Years Ago_

"Hinata, you'll be getting a new partner today," Kurenai said, flicking through some documents.

"New partner?" Hinata asked with confusion, leaning forward on the desk. "What about Kiba?"

"He'll be paired with Shino for the time being," the red-eyed woman replied.

Hinata frowned. She had grown used to the way her team worked. "Did we do something wrong?"

Her boss looked up from her papers. "Of course not. Team eight excelled in tracking and covert missions. Your new partners previous team, team seven, was more of the…obliterating type." Hinata's eyes had widened when she heard Kurenai say team seven. She knew about them.  _Everybody_  in the agency knew about them. They were known to leave blood in their wake. They excelled at what they did. In fact they were the best for what they specialized in. When they were recruits they had actually all trained together at one point and Hinata was surprised to hear stories about them years after the teams were made.

Kurenai's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Tsunade decided to try a change. Meet the differences between your two teams in the middle."

Hinata swallowed, her mind wandering to one of the members in particular. "Who is my partner?"

Kurenai smiled and looked past her. She was a trained spy, it would have been pathetic if she didn't sense someone enter the room. Hinata tensed her shoulders, feeling a friendly presence make its way closer.

"Hey, Hinata," a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

She turned slowly, almost mechanically as her pale eyes made contact with blue. "Naruto."

He grinned, teeth flashing as his eyes crinkled with his smile. "Long time no see."

She nodded and quickly shut her mouth after realizing it hung open. She blinked quickly, gathering her thoughts. She was no longer a fresh-as-paint rookie. She has fought and killed. She had been tortured and threatened. She would  _not_  act like a love-struck schoolgirl. That's what she told herself and she would damn right follow it.

It was no secret from her teammates, or her teacher, that she had once harbored a crush on the man that stood before her. He grew, they all did, since their time at the academy, and this did not go unnoticed by her.

"You look good," Naruto said with a pleasant smile, pulling up a seat beside her.

Hinata blushed lightly. Guess it didn't go unnoticed by him either.

"So what's the situation?" Naruto asked, his face turning serious as he addressed Kurenai.

That's how it started.

.

* * *

.

They very quickly learned that the pair worked quite well together.

Naruto was used to a more offensive approach while on missions. That's not to say he wasn't good at undercover ones. Hinata was easily able to blend in with the crowd, whether it be a mix of rich aristocrats and superiors or the shady pawns of an underground gang. She could be invisible if she wanted, blending in like a fly on the wall.

Alone, they were quite capable but together they were unstoppable.

.

* * *

.

Hinata felt a hand at her waist and she almost jumped before she realized it was Naruto at her side.

"Smile," he said from the corner of his mouth as he waved casually at a man sitting near the bar. He was looking at them suspiciously, as if wondering what they were doing at this elegant little gathering.

Hinata placed her palm on Naruto's chest, looking up at him and laughing wistfully, pretending he had said something funny.

Naruto's mouth twitched at Hinata's behavior and he looked down at her with a smirk once the other man turned his attention to speak with someone else.

"You may have overdone it, sweetheart."

Hinata just smiled. "Nonsense."

.

* * *

.

That's how it went.

Occasionally, one of them would have to stay behind and stay back at headquarters. Hinata didn't mind the desk job. Sometimes it was easier to help him that way.

"Incoming," she said, staring intently at the screen before her. "Two men, armed, on the other side of the door to your right."

She had hacked into the security cameras of the building Naruto was assigned to infiltrate that day and things had taken a bad turn. It was supposed to be more of a sneak in, take what they needed, and get out undetected sort of thing but they had to go with the flow.

"Thanks," Naruto said, looking up at a camera in the corner of the room after he had taken care of the two men. He gave her a wink.

Hinata resisted a blush. He always did little things like that to coax heat to her face. He said it made her look  _cute_. She insisted she was a well-trained spy, cute shouldn't be the word to describe her. He had laughed, and leaned close to her ear, whispering words meant only for her. "I have many other words I can use to describe you, Hinata, but they would be better said alone together in the darkness."

The dark haired woman flared up at that recent memory. She knew he was just flirting. Relationships between partners were forbidden, but nonetheless she would be lying if she said those words didn't make heat fill her core.

Hinata shook her head. She had a job to do. "I told you I should have been the one to be on the field for this one," she said, rapidly clicking buttons on her keyboard, her eyes flitting across the screen.

"You had the last one," Naruto insisted, holding his gun out straight as he tiptoed through the room.

"But this one was covert," she said with a sigh, flicking through the different windows she had open. "Three men are running towards the room. Opposite hallway."

She saw Naruto nod, confirming he had heard.

.

* * *

.

Another day, another mission.

A lot of the time things went smoothly. But sometimes they did not.

The screen went dark.

Hinata  _hated_  it when the screen went dark.

"Naruto?" she said into her mouthpiece. "Naruto, you there?"

Silence. Not even static.

Her heart was beating fast now as she tried to figure out how to make contact with him again. She turned in her seat and looked over to her friend.

"Kiba!" she shouted, trying to suppress the feelings of worry starting to bubble up inside of her but she knew she sounded frantic.

Her brown haired friend turned in his chair, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "What's up, Hinata?"

"Naruto," she said, her breathing shallow now. "Naruto-"

He understood and immediately came over to her computer.

She should be able to handle this.  _Naruto_  should be able to handle this. But she was worried. The last thing she saw was him unlock the door to some warehouse they had to infiltrate. He walked down the hallway and was about to turn the corner when everything went dark.

"Kiba…"

"I can't contact him," he muttered to himself, clacking the keys furiously. He glanced at his old teammate and long time friend from the corner of his eye. "Hey, go take over my computer for now, will you? Shino's on a simple mission but might need some help."

Hinata swallowed thickly but nodded, getting up from her seat. She walked past other analysts not seeing their waves and smiles directed towards her as she sat heavily on Kiba's seat. His desk had pictures of his dog taped to the edge of the computer. A couple photo frames of Team eight. She smiled and carefully put in the earpiece.

"Shino?"

" _Hinata? Is everything okay?"_

Hinata swallowed once again. "Yeah-ye…no. I don't know." She took a deep shuddering breath before glancing at the screen. "Careful. They have a single hostage with them," she said, her voice dull.

This came with the job. This sense of loss and desperation. The ability to do so much and yet the inability to do many things.

But this feeling that was growing inside of her?

It  _hurt_.

.

* * *

.

Naruto groaned, leaning against the wall. He cursed at himself. How the  _hell_  did he let himself get knocked out like that? He was sort of glad Hinata didn't get to see that. That was a bit embarrassing.

 _Because I was knocked out so quick_ , he thought begrudgingly.

He winced, holding his side as he followed the wall to exit the room, teeming with unconscious bodies on the ground. He got caught,  _temporarily_ , but at least he was able to get out. Naruto wiped away some blood leaking from the side of his mouth and glanced at his watch.

"Shit," Naruto grumbled, eyes widening. He was off the grid for what could have been two hours. His heart fell at the thought of what Hinata was probably going through. He knew he hated it when  _he_  was stuck on desk duty and things started to go wrong for her. But she didn't even know  _what_  had happened to him.

Naruto stumbled his way through the building, stopping in front of a classy-framed mirror hanging above a decorative desk. Carefully he poked his eye with a finger, slipping out a contact that doubled as a camera. After a few quick tweaks, adjustments and replacements he popped them back into place, clicking a few buttons on his watch.

His earpiece crackled to life.

"Hey, Hinata," he said blinking at his reflection. He grinned sheepishly. He was sure she'd be upset by the amount of bruises and injuries he had sustained. "I know you're probably looking beautiful right now, tell me I do too." He joked with a wink and waited for her sound of exclamation.

Instead he heard a deep voice, cackling with laughter.

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Who's this?" he asked, glaring at himself in the mirror. "Where's Hinata?"

" _My_ god _, Naruto,"_  he heard the familiar voice say through spurts of laughter.  _"Is_ that _how you talk to Hinata?"_

Naruto grumbled and turned away from the mirror, making his way to the front door. "Shut up, Kiba."

" _Is that what you call_ flirting _?"_  he exclaimed, howling once more.

Just as Naruto was about to start yelling at his friend he heard a muffled voice coming from the earpiece, some static and then-

" _Naruto!"_

Naruto grinned. "Hey, Hinata."

" _What happened?"_  she asked, sounding worried.

"Ah, nothing much," he answered, limping slightly as he walked outside. "Send a car, would you? I got what we need."

" _It's already there,"_  she said, breathing a sigh of relief. She didn't believe him when he said nothing much. She knew he was just trying to console her.  _"I'll let Sakura know to set up a bed in the med bay."_

"No, you don't-"  
 _"Naruto,"_  she said, cutting him off. Her voice was firm, how she got when she was serious. He shut his mouth and watched the car roll up.  _"Just get back in one piece, okay?"_

Naruto swallowed, warmth blooming in his chest and a small smile graced his cheeks, reflected in the darkened windows of the car. He was sure she saw it.

"Okay."

.

* * *

.

"What the  _fuck_  do you mean, you  _lost_  her?" Naruto spit out angrily, resisting the urge to pin him to the wall by his collar.

"She's probably fine. She knew what she was walking in to. We knew what might happen." Kiba said, shaking his head as he walked past the blonde man. He wasn't trying to brush off how problematic the situation could actually be; he was just confident that Hinata was in no trouble. She had handled much worse countless times before. "I'm not her body guard, Naruto."

"You were part of her team for this god damn mission," he exclaimed, baring his teeth. He had only just come back from his own mission with Sai and Sakura when he saw Kiba enter the building. "Don't you know how to work with her-"

Kiba whirled around and poked his finger against Naruto's chest. "Listen here, Naruto.  _I've_  worked with Hinata way longer than you have. Don't you  _dare_  insinuate I don't know how-"

"Both of you shut up," Shino spoke calmly from his desk, sunglasses glinting threateningly. "Why? Because Hinata just contacted me."

The two men stopped their squabbling immediately and scrambled over to Shino, talking over each other. Asking what was going on. Was she okay? What happened? It was Kiba's fault wasn't it? Naruto shut the hell up.

Just a normal day on the job.

.

* * *

.

"Hinata,  _please_ stop blinking," Ino said with a tired sigh.

"Sorry," Hinata said, sitting up straighter as she let her friend do her makeup for the next mission. "But don't you think this is a bit much?"

Ino laughed. "Too much? Hinata, please. I'm trying to make up for the fact that your skin is flawless-"

"-I have some scars-"

"-No tattoos-"

"-I don't know what to get-"

"-No piercings-"

"-I so  _do_ -"

"-No  _weird_  piercings," Ino said, placing a finger on Hinata's darkened lips to hush her. "Hinata, you need to fit in. Let me do my magic."

.

* * *

.

Naruto stood with arms crossed, leaning against the dirty alley wall, waiting for Hinata to arrive. They were to enter the underground gambling ring together, under the guise of a couple. They were supposed to play a few rounds, gain their trust (or at least as much trust as you could possible get with these masters of reading people or hiding true motives). It was an assassination mission. They had to take out the leader of the whole shindig.

Naruto's ears twitched at the telltale sound of heels clicking on the ground, moving in his direction. There was no bug in his ear today. Just him and Hinata.

He smiled as she came into view.

"You look…"

"Don't," she said, her face red. She looked a bit uncomfortable in her skin tight, short, blood red dress, clashing pleasantly with her pale skin. She shivered, her legs and arms bare, straps hanging loosely off her shoulders, emphasizing her sleek neck. Her fingers were curled tightly onto a small rectangular, black clutch, no doubt stuffed full of disguised gadgets. Naruto chuckled at her flustered demeanor.

"That's some statement lipstick," he commented with a smirk. Her blush grew brighter at his teasing, almost matching the red rouge on her lips. Naruto leaned closer, his hand stuffed in his pockets. "God damn, Ino did one hell of a job on your eyes," he said.

She turned her head away, pouting. "Naruto!"

He chuckled. "It looks great," he said. He brushed away a loose curl that came free from the messy, but stylish, bun on her head. His eyes wandered to the fair skin of her neck. "But I think you're missing something."

Hinata turned to look at him as he searched for something from the inside of his suit jacket. She strained to see if there was anything she could tease  _him_ about but his black tuxedo looked impeccable.

She watched him pull out a small chain and at the end dangled a circular pendant.

Blue eyes met lavender and he grinned. "Doesn't really match," he said, laying the necklace flat on his palm. "But you know how much I like orange," he said laughing nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I saw this on my last solo mission and I dunno, I thought it would look nice on you." He trailed off, clearing his throat.

Hinata smiled tenderly. "Thank you." Very briefly she wondered if he had always carried the necklace around since that mission but she didn't voice the question.

Neither of them took any notice to the grimy environment they were standing in, dark and musty. Instead he allowed his fingers to brush against the nape of her neck lightly, causing slight goosebumps to rise on her skin.

"There," he said, lingering longer than he probably should have. She turned around and placed her fingers on the necklace, smiling fondly.

"Thank you, Naruto," she said. "It's beautiful."

He just grinned and offered her his arm. "M'lady."

.

* * *

.

It was a rowdy crowd.

Well dressed, rich, but very suspicious. Many players paused from their games as the two walked by, chins high, walking with an air of authority.

That's what they had to do.

They couldn't show weakness. Not in this situation. In this setting they were supposed to be a power couple, skilled in the art of gambling. Well-dressed men and their trophy wives eyed the pair as they walked past them to an empty seat.

"Good luck," Hinata said to Naruto, fluttering her eyes seductively.

If Naruto wasn't a well trained spy, he would have laughed at his friends antics. But he just smiled and leaned in, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, sweetie." He would have said her name, but right now they were not Naruto and Hinata. They were simply a couple trying to catch the attention of the leader of the Akatsuki underground gambling ring. Also, he sort of liked to see her turn pink, even if it was only a little.

Naruto took a seat and Hinata stood behind him, one hand clasped on his shoulder as the blonde eyed the other people at the table.

And then the game had begun.

.

* * *

.

"You," Naruto and Hinata turned as they collected their winnings at the sound of the voice. A man with dull looking brown eyes waved them to them. "With me."

Hinata's eyes briefly shifted to Naruto's as he got up from his chair. Just as he was about to wrap his arm securely around Hinata's waist the guard, piercings scattered across his face, shook his head.

"Just the woman."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Honey…" Hinata whispered under her breath. It was a warning but also contained other things she couldn't say aloud.  _Don't worry_.

"Pain asked for her."

"May I ask why?" Hinata asked as she took a few steps closer, the broad, bald man towering above her.

The man looked like he was about to reply when he paused and tilted his head to the side, listening to whoever was whispering in his earpiece.

"Change of plans," he said, looking up at the couple. "Just the man."

Now it was Hinata's turn to frown.

Naruto walked briskly past her, glad it was him instead of her.

"Naruto-"

"I'll be right back," he said, throwing her a wink. "You're my lucky charm, don't go wandering off. I'll need you if we want to win some more."

The guard clasped his hand firmly around Naruto's arm and led him to the back room as Hinata resisted herself from chewing her bottom lip nervously.

.

* * *

.

She couldn't help it, okay.

He was gone for quite a while and she was starting to get worried. She decided it was about time to make a move.

Hinata made her way to the rest room and made sure the place was empty before leaning against the sink. She stared at herself in the mirror, eyes falling to the little orange pendant at her necklace. Carefully she lifted her fingers to the cold metal and shut her eyes, taking a deep breath.

And opened them real quick when she heard some other woman enter the bathroom. Hinata smiled hesitantly at the lady who stared at her impassively. Se wore a pale dress that almost gave the illusion of paper, her brown eyes looking orange.

"I have never seen you here before," she spoke, her voice quiet.

Hinata's eyes followed the little piercing in the other woman's lower lip, her thought going back to her conversation with Ino.

"Ah, yes, this is my first time here," Hinata said, smiling pleasantly. "My-" her mind went blank. Was Naruto her husband in this situation or boyfriend? What was  _wrong_  with her? She's supposed to be quick on her feet. "-husband heard about this place and…well here we are."

The woman nodded and turned on the faucet to wash her hand. "I see no wedding ring."

Hinata swallowed, her fingers moving to her bag. "No, he isn't very traditional, you see," Hinata said, thinking on her feet. "He gave me this necklace instead."

The woman stared at her unblinkingly, her hand moving towards her back.

Hinata knew better than to wait. She grabbed her bag and lunged.

.

* * *

.

"You motherfucker," Naruto snarled at the orange haired man before him. His men lay dead at his feet but Naruto still found himself bound, stuck to the wall. He tried to reach his watch to click a button and contact Hinata but he couldn't do it. He yanked at the cuffs that pinned him to the wall by his wrists.

"You come in here with that woman hanging to your arms, stealing my money away, making my… _customers_  nervous," Pain said, brandishing a gun. "That's suspicious, don't you think?"

Naruto almost snorted. This man had done some bad things but right now he had to get himself out of this situation.

He had to finish the mission.

.

* * *

.

"Hello?" Sakura said, turning the dial on the machine to try and get a better signal. "Is this Naruto?"

_"Sa-"_

Sakura grumbled as she prodded a bit more. The voice kept cutting off. "Naruto, you know you're only supposed to contact me for emergencies," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I'm always nearby, ready to help but-"

_"-nata- hel-"_

Sakura frowned. From what she could tell this sounded serious. Tsunade has positioned her in this dilapidated part of town for a reason. She was already on her feet when the connection cleared.

Her heart fell at the sound of his voice. He sounded like he was in tears.

 _"She's hurt, Sakura,"_ Naruto said.  _"She's hurt real bad. I'm doing what I can but-fuck!"_

"I'm on my way," she said, revving up her car and dialing a few other people she knew would be close.

 _"God, this is all my fault,"_ he said, letting out a shaky sob.  _"She tried to protect me-"_

"Naruto, is the area clear?" Sakura asked, trying to maintain a clear head. One of them had to. His was clouded with emotion right now.

His voice deepened.  _"It's clear,"_ he said in a monotone.  _"Everyone who didn't make it out the door is dead."_

Sakura's fingers trembled on the steering wheel, her memories flashing back to the types of missions they would take together as Team Eight with Sasuke. Now she served primarily as a medic. She needed the change. It wasn't exactly calmer and she certainly saw more death but she had to get out of the field temporarily. Sasuke went on to do solo missions and the bubbliest member of their team ended up being paired with Hinata.

Naruto was a good guy. He was loyal and dedicated and trained himself to the limit.

He was also deadly when he needed to be. When it came to people he cared about.

He sometimes purposefully half assed his missions, occasionally getting caught in messy situations because of it, but he welcomed the challenge, finding ways around it almost easily. So he certainly didn't  _always_  give one hundred percent.

But when he did…

 _"We're going to need a clean up squad here,"_ Naruto said, his voice sounding cold and detached now.  _"Maybe several squads actually."_

"Okay," Sakura said softly. "I'll make the call."

Naruto was silent for a little while and then-

_"I can't lose her, Sakura."_

Her heart clenched at how  _broken_ he sounded and she pressed her foot as far down as she could.

.

* * *

.

"Hinata, stop moving," Sakura said firmly, pressing her friend back into her bed.

"But I've been here for so long now," Hinata said desperately, wincing as she tried to sit up.

"Stay  _down_ ," Sakura insisted. "You're still healing, Hinata. Taking a shot that close to your heart and lungs is not good, no matter how much you trained."

Hinata relented and allowed herself to fall onto her back. She stared dully at the flickering light above her as her mind wandered to the conversation she had with Kiba and Shino a week or two back when she asked about Naruto's well being.

They had told her he was more than fine.

She was hesitant to ask why he didn't come visit her but she did.

Neither one of those two could give her a proper answer. It was when they left did Sakura speak.

"He can't see you like this," she said gently. "It hurts him to think that your bed bound because of him-"

"It's not  _his_  fault!" Hinata said, surprised. "He didn't pull me in front of the bullet-"

"No, but you jumped in front of it  _for_ him," Sakura said, giving her a hesitant smile. "And that confused him in so many ways."

Hinata frowned. "Why? Partners do that sort of thing. They help each other."

Sakura nodded. "Oh, that's true. I'm not arguing there. It wasn't really that act itself that confused him, I'm sure."

"Then?"

Sakura leaned in close, careful that her next words were heard only by her. Things like this were not tolerated in their agency. She would know.

"It was the feelings after."

.

* * *

.

 _"Hinata, six goons will be coming in from your left,"_ Shino sounded in her ear.  _"Another six are waiting down at the end of the hall."_

"A  _dozen_?" Hinata exclaimed, breathing heavily. She had been fighting for a while now, dodging weapons, sneaking through the building. She had gotten the papers she was sent to steal but getting out ended up being much harder than sneaking in was. "I'm going to have to jump out of the window at this rate."

 _"I wouldn't advise that,"_ Shino said seriously.  _"From this high up, you are more than likely to break several bones in your body, let alone survive the fall."_

"Shino…" Hinata said under her breath, huffing slightly in laughter.

Shino was quiet for a second.  _"Oh, I understand now."_

Hinata worked quickly, pulling at the grate to enter the ventilation shaft.  _Just like the movies_ , she thought with a sigh. "I think I'm going to need backup."

 _"Already on the way,"_  Shino said.  _"ETA seven minutes."_

Hinata pulled herself up, grateful that for this mission she was able to wear her simple black, body suit. It allowed her to move easily, go past people undetected, and just helped her accomplish her goal. Doing certain jobs in a skirt made things unnecessarily complicated.

"Seven minutes?" she whispered, crawling on her hands and knees. "Really?"

 _"Four,"_  Shino amended.  _"He's moving fast."_

Hinata sighed in relief. Good. Kiba would be here soon. With his help she'd be able to make it out of the building easy.

"How'd he cut down on the time so much?" she asked, her voice low as she crawled over the spot she was sure her enemy wandered.

 _"I told him of your situation,"_ Shino explained.  _"I've hacked into the system and changed all red lights he may encounter to green."_

Hinata almost shouted in happiness. "Oh, thank you, Shino," she murmured as she made it to the end of the vent. "I love you," she whispered cheerfully, pushing at the grate.

 _"You know that's not allowed,"_  a familiar voice that wasn't Shino's sounded in her ear, surprising her. It sounded a little bit annoyed.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth. Her sudden movement made her to lose her grip on the vent cover, and it went crashing to the ground. "Oh no…"

She heard footsteps coming from the hallway and she quickly tried to think of what to do.

 _"ETA Naruto?"_ Shino asked rapidly.

 _"In the building,"_  Naruto grunted, his voice low.  _"Sorry, Hinata. I didn't mean to startle you."_

Should she leave the vent? They'd shoot her down in an instant. But she was a sitting duck up here as well.

"You  _left_ ," Hinata said as she pulled out her gun, carefully aiming at the door, waiting for men to come streaming in. Her words were harsh but there was no anger apparent in her voice.

She heard gunshots from the hall and laughter, laughter that echoed through her earpiece.

Silence fell and the door flew open.

"I'm here now," Naruto said, placing his gun back in his holster as he grinned up at her. He indicated that it was okay for her to come down and she did.

Hinata was hesitant to walk over to him and had mixed feelings storming inside of her. She was feeling joy and a little bit of anger and some nervousness and overall she was just  _confused_.

Naruto was looking at her funny, his eyes twinkling, smile soft.

"Hey, Hinata." She didn't miss how his eyes roved over her body, checking for injuries, his gaze lingering where he knew she had been perilously wounded in the past. She saw his jaw tense as he stared at the fabric, remembering how her blood soaked through her already red dress that time ago. How it leaked through his fingers as he tried to stop the flow… His eyebrows furrowed at the tears in her outfit, more than likely caused by grazed bullets and too close for comfort knives. "What happened?" he asked.

"I was missing a partner," Hinata said, trying and failing to be irritated with the man before her.

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I'm here now."

Hinata's mouth twitched.

She never could stay angry with him.

.

* * *

.

"We can't," she said, trembling beneath him. He was kissing a trail up her arms and she felt him smile against her skin.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, halting in his movements. Hinata mewled softly, shifting so their bodies touched. His face came into view, eyes darkened, boring into hers. "Do you want me to stop?" he repeated.

She knew she should say yes to the question but her mind and body were saying no.

"Do  _you_  want to stop?" she asked instead, wide, innocent eyes staring back at him.

A small, teasing smile graced his lips as he leaned forward to kiss her softly. She hummed against his lips, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer.

The lovers had no one to blame but each other.

.

* * *

.

They didn't know it then but this would be the last mission they would go on together before the agency was forced to separate them.

"I don't like this mission," Naruto said to the table with a pout, stirring the drink before him lazily.

Hinata smiled at him from across the room as she took a glass of champagne from one of the waiters passing by. "It's not too bad," she said into the hidden microphone slipped into her flowing, lavender dress.

"Not to bad for  _me_ ," Naruto scoffed under his breath. "But  _you_  have to get on that guys good side. What's his name again? I didn't bother to remember it."

He could see her shoulders shaking slightly from laughter and he felt something warm bubbling inside of him, a smile making its way to his face at the sight. "Naruto, you have to know the details of the mission," she whispered. "And you know his name is Toneri."

 _"Yeah, Naruto,"_ Kiba said in their ears, snickering.  _"You have some competition."_

Naruto watched a flustered expression cross her face. He turned away from her and downed his drink, muttering angrily into his hidden mic. "You don't know what you're talking about Kiba."

Kiba's laughter was interrupted by Shino.

_"Sources tell me he should be arriving soon."_

Naruto glanced over to Hinata who was staring at the grand doors, running a hand through her long hair. His fingers curled tighter around his empty glass and his teeth clenched.

He didn't like this mission at all.

"How do I look?" he heard Hinata's voice in his ear.

He was about to answer but was cut off by Kiba.  _"Well, from what I see from Naruto's cam, you look gorgeous."_

Naruto scowled and forced himself to tear his gaze away, signaling for the bartender to refill his drink.

 _"Careful, Naruto, don't drink too much now,"_ Kiba said and Naruto could practically  _hear_  the smirk on his face.

"How would you know how much I drank?" he asked, slipping a few bills as a tip to the bartender.

He heard Kiba's laughter once more.  _"I can see what Hinata sees too you know. And you guys need to try and keep your eyes off each other and concentrate on the mission."_

 _"Kiba, hold your tongue,"_  Shino said sharply. Their more stoic friend was not oblivious to the exchanges they had started to notice between Naruto and Hinata. They secretly supported them. Key word: secretly.  _"You know some things are forbidden._ They  _know something's are forbidden."_

There was a warning in his words. They had to be careful.

They didn't voice it exactly but Naruto and Hinata were adamant there was nothing going on. Other members of the agency, their  _friends_ , were starting to see what was blooming between the two. And sooner or later the agency itself would see.

And that couldn't happen.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hinata feigned, sounding ruffled. Naruto allowed himself once glance at her words.

Didn't know what they were talking about?

What  _no_  one knew was the day she almost died for him; she also confessed her feelings…or what she thought she was feeling. She was certain she would die that day and she had to let him know.

Right before the world went black she was looking into his blue eyes. She could see his mouth moving and felt his tears dripping onto her cheeks. She felt a numbness near her chest and saw red streaked across his face, running against his strange whisker birthmarks. Her mind had gone hazy and through it all she felt herself  _smile_.

Her mouth moved on it's own and she saw his eyes widen at what she said.

That's okay. She was happy he would know.

She appreciated that the last thing she would see would be his bright blue eyes.

 _"He's here,"_  Shino's voice pulled him out of his recent train of thought.  _"Good luck, Hinata._ "

.

* * *

.

It was her job to gain the man's trust. Make her way into the deeper rooms of the mansion, find a very specific file, and then leave.

It was his job to be there in case anything went wrong. He wasn't to get involved if he couldn't help it.

And boy, was it hard not to jump in.

Naruto watched from the corner of his eye as Hinata conversed with the slick, white, haired man, leaning across the tall, round pub table between the two in his fancy, grey suit. He wasn't sure what Hinata was talking about because Kiba cut off her feed from him temporarily, but the man seemed to be enjoying their conversation.

It had taken a little while but eventually the man himself gravitated towards Hinata after greeting his many guests at this party of his. This wasn't the first time they had met. The man had  _accidently_  stumbled upon Hinata while trekking through the city. She had  _accidently_  bumped into him, spilling her coffee in the process. It was simple, but it worked. He felt obliged to take her out for a drink and it all went from there. This wasn't a one-day mission; this was something they had to work on with time.

And Naruto hated every little bit of it.

He watched how Toneri placed his hand over Hinata's and didn't miss how his eyes roved her body when she was preoccupied with something else. If Kiba and Shino noticed Naruto's annoyance they stayed out of it.

Forcing himself to look away he sighed deeply.

This was going to be a long mission.

.

* * *

.

Naruto sat inside their lavish hotel room and stared intently at the screen of his handheld tablet. He was seeing what Hinata was seeing and she was on a  _date_  with Toneri. And there was obviously no room for him during this part of the mission.

 _"Good job, Hinata,"_ Naruto heard Shino's voice.  _"We're all one step closer to getting those files."_

"How exactly?" Naruto spoke. He knew how. But he still didn't like it.

 _"C'mon, Naruto,"_ Kiba's voice piped up.  _"She needs to get further into his enormous mansion to even have a chance at swiping those papers."_

"We can just sneak in," Naruto said.

 _"That's been tried before and you know that,"_ Shino said, referring to an old mission led by one of their friends Shikamaru.

_"Naruto, if you can't handle-"_

"I can handle it!" Naruto exclaimed, allowing himself to fall to his back onto the large bed.

 _"-I'd be more than willing to substitute in for you. Been a while since I stretched my legs,"_  Kiba finished.

"I can handle it," Naruto repeated tightly. There really was nothing much for him to handle right now, besides having to watch the stupid interactions between Hinata and Toneri. Naruto was supposed to be on hand to get Hinata out if it came down to it. To be ready to leave once she got hold of the files. "I can," he said firmly.

He returned his attention to the screen once more as he saw Toneri lean in closer to Hinata, probably whispering something in her ear. She had turned off her microphone and muted them to prevent herself from getting distracted so Naruto was in the dark as to what was  _really_  going on.

Toneri pulled away, a smirk apparent on his face and Hinata's gaze moved down to her hands, which were clenched together, almost nervously. Naruto sat up in bed, crossed his legs and frowned at the screen. Again Toneri's face came into view and he saw Hinata's hand move to grasp the other man's. Toneri's smile grew as he lifted her hand to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers.

Naruto fumed.

He almost flung away the tablet but his grip tightened and he just couldn't tear his gaze away.

 _"I think it's working,"_  Kiba said with awe, almost surprising Naruto, he was so engrossed in what was going on. Naruto's jaw twitched as he watched the scene unfold with narrowed eyes.

Now Toneri was walking Hinata to her ride, their hands clasped together. He seemed to be wishing her farewell and it was when his face got uncomfortably close to the screen that Naruto was finally able to look away. He tossed the screen to the other side of the bed and collapsed back with a sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

She'd be back soon, he told himself, trying his best not to think of what could be going on at that moment.

.

* * *

.

Hinata entered the hotel room happily. She had just finished updating Kiba and Shino about what had happened but for some reason Naruto had went offline. She wasn't worried though, she was positive he was just tired of watching her while on the mission. He always did prefer to be out in the field.

They were so close of finishing the job. She just had to tell Naruto the details. She turned the corner and saw Naruto lounging on the bed, clad in only a white tank undershirt and dress pants, the heel of his palms pressed against his eyes.

Her smile vanished. "Naruto? Is everything okay?"

Naruto dropped his hands lazily to his side, turning his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. "Hey, Hinata. How was your date?"

Hinata frowned. He was upset. She made her way to the bathroom, taking off her earrings as she went. "It was okay," she said, reaching back to unhook her necklace.  _His_  necklace.

She heard movement behind her as Naruto got to his feet. "I couldn't see you but Toneri seemed to enjoy the date."

She sighed as she watched him approach her from the mirror. "Naruto…"

He stopped just millimeters behind her. He brushed her hair to the side and slowly took hold of the zipper at the top of the dress. "Sorry, Hinata," he said, leaning forward to place a feather light kiss on the back of her neck. "You know I don't like to see you flirting with other men, even if it's for a mission."

She allowed her eyes to flutter shut and tilted her head to the side. She felt one warm hand at her waist as the other pulled the zipper down. "Your microphone and camera-?"

"Turned everything off when Toneri leaned in to kiss you," he said, his eyes boring into hers through the mirror, darkened with lust or anger, she couldn't quite tell.

"I didn't-"

He was quick to turn her around, pushing her against the sink counter, his body molded against hers. "It doesn't matter now," he said, his voice deep, their breath starting to mingle. "Was the mission successful?"

"Almost," she said, her heart beating fast, her eyes half lidded. She leaned forward to kiss him but he made sure their lips wouldn't touch. His thoughts kept wandering to what he saw on the tablet. What Hinata must have been seeing- Toneri leaning in-

She felt his grip tighten and her dress pooled to her feet as he closed the distance between them, kissing her possessively-fiercely. His intense kisses only slowed when he lingered on the scar under the curve of her breasts, thoughts flashing back to that dreadful night. She was quick to coax him out of that downward spiral, whispering words of love and trust, her fingers brushing against him.

This was forbidden and they both knew it but they had stepped into hell a long time ago, shortly after Naruto returned to her after his absence. Neither of them were sure how it started but, put simply, working for the Agency would be a lot simpler if they would stop having sex.

They were on the bed now and Hinata could tell what kind of night this was going to be immediately, not that she minded.

Naruto was  _jealous_.

She tried to tell him there was nothing to be jealous about but all coherent thoughts vanished from her mind as they found themselves naked, skin against skin. She would explain what was left of the mission tomorrow. Right now she couldn't think straight.

She was on her knees, her hands fisted into the sheets as Naruto pushed himself against her from behind, firmly holding onto her hips. She could feel his nails digging into her skin and she leaned forward, arching her back, biting down to prevent herself from crying out in pleasure.

"You know how I like to hear you," Naruto's voice, sultry and enticing, sounded from behind her. It wasn't an order. It was just a statement. He liked to know what she preferred while they were in bed together and he shared what he enjoyed as well.

His previous irritation targeted at Toneri seemed to have vanished, replaced by a protectiveness aimed at her as he slowed his thrusts, running his hand down her bare back, trailing kisses down their path. She turned her head to meet him with a kiss, starting to move again, forcing a groan to rumble out of his throat.

"Hinata," he said breathily, tugging on her bottom lip. She arched her back some more, signaling what she wanted and he kissed her back again, careful to leave marks only where he knew she would be clothed. Her breasts were already littered with light spots, and her back with some scratches that he left from one of the many previous nights they had before. He had similar marks scattered across his body, normally hidden beneath their clothes. There was supposed to be no visible clues of their relationship.

And he didn't like it.

He didn't like that other people were allowed to take her out in public and he wasn't. Because then people like Toneri liked to think they had a chance with her.

Gripping the sides of her ass once more he pushed his hips against her, claiming her, his head lolling to his back. Sweat dripped down his body, their throaty gasps and languorous moans creating a symphony that drove him wild. He snuck one hand beneath her to trace against her stomach, moving lower to help give her even more pleasure and she choked out his name in response, quivering underneath him.

Her legs felt weak after that release and she breathed heavily into the pillow, arms shaking as Naruto continued to move into her, fast and hard. He was starting to get close and she could feel it. His movement becoming irregular, his fingers tightening. With one last thrust, he held her deep against himself as he felt a wave of pleasure roll through his body. He moved just a few more times, slowly as he rode the high before pulling out and gathering her against his chest, kissing her softly on the lips.

She clutched his arm tightly, returning the kiss with just as much fervor.

The way she felt his hands linger down her sides again she could tell he wasn't done for the night.

She'd speak with him tomorrow.

.

* * *

.

The mission had finally been completed successfully but at a cost.

"Naruto, you'll be transferred to a different part of the agency," Tsunade said, elbows on her desk, fingers clasped together in front of her face. "Hinata will remain here with her former team."

They made a mistake.

Hinata was able to successfully infiltrate Toneri's mansion. She left him under the guise that she had to "freshen up" and was able to sneak out of the bathroom, supposedly undetected. But Toneri was a smart man. And a man easily upset.

He found out he was betrayed and when Naruto learned that he could no longer see or hear what was going on with Hinata he entered the home. It was easy at first. They thought he was Hinata's driver who had come to drop of a spare set of clothes (the thought made him furious but he wanted to save up his anger for Toneri). Because Naruto was able to get deep into the mansion he was supposed to sneak away and finish what Hinata started. He was to get the file,  _not_  go to her. At least not right away.

But he couldn't do that. He couldn't abandon her. He couldn't leave her with him for a second longer than he had to.

It was really Toneri that gave away their secrets. Their feelings for each other didn't go unnoticed by even him.

Details are unimportant but they both knew it would happen eventually. Their secret was no longer a secret and they had to pay the price, even if that cost the Agency a remarkable team.

"Lady Tsunade," Hinata spoke up, her voice soft, eyes trained at the ground. She didn't want to look up because she knew if she did her eyes would move immediately to the man beside her and that would make their goodbye even harder. "I don't mind being the one to leave. Naruto has friends here-"

"Hinata, it is precisely this… _affection_  you feel towards Naruto that has brought you two into this situation," Tsunade said sharply but not unkindly. She knew perfectly well what it was like to fall in love with a fellow agent. Agents became reckless when it came to someone they loved. They tended to put that person in front of their mission. And from her experience that always resulted in tragedy. It compromised the Agency itself and was something she had been taught to not risk.

Naruto had remained silent throughout her entire lecture and she eyed him suspiciously. That was quite unlike him. She expected him to shout and exclaim how she could never keep them a part. But he knew as well as she did what they signed up for when becoming spies.

And they broke the number one rule of the Agency.

Don't fall in love with your partner.

"Tsunade," Naruto said, void of emotion. "I'm going to change that stupid regulation once I take your job."

Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows. "Is that a threat, agent?"

Naruto shook his head. "Just a promise to get rid of an outdated rule."

"Is this really how you want to end your last day here, Naruto?" Tsunade asked with a sigh.

Naruto frowned. "No, this is how."

Hinata felt him move and he appeared before her, his fingers gentle on her chin, lifting her head up so their eyes met. He whispered his love for her so quietly she was sure she was the only one to hear it.

Then he kissed her.

It was brief but she felt her lips tingle long after he left, still coming out of that surprising haze he left her in, the door shutting hard behind him.

"That Naruto," Tsunade mumbled under her breath, shaking her head as she watched the young woman before her blink in shock.

It was then that the gravity of the situation hit her.

Would she ever see Naruto again?

.

* * *

.

_Present_

Hinata took a deep breath and looked around the room, searching for familiar faces. She had to get herself together. She had to stop dwelling on the past. She had a mission to do.

Wait, what was it again?

 _"You have the device with you right?"_  Shino sounded in her ear.

Oh yeah. Plant the camera and listening device in the meeting room of this rich person's home.

Hinata nodded, knowing they would see the movement.

 _"You'll need a distraction to sneak out of the ballroom,"_ Kiba said.  _"Damn, if I wasn't hurt I'd help you out. Pretend to get drunk or something."_

Hinata thought about what she could do. She had to both create a distraction  _and_  sneak away?

"Can't you cut off the lights?" she whispered under her breath, pretending to take a drink.

 _"They're too well protected,"_ Shino said.

Hinata frowned, her eyes continuing to rove the crowd.

Her heart thudded in her chest.

No. It couldn't be.

She strained her neck. She could have swore she saw sleeked back blonde hair and a hint of blue eyes somewhere in the midst of the crowd. Unruly hair straining, forced to lay flat. Whiskered cheeks.

It felt as though the crowd parted and there he was. Dressed in a crisp white suit, hands stuffed in his pocket, staring directly at her.

But  _how_?

How did he know she would be here? Was it just a coincidence? Was he here on a mission as well?

The chances of that were slim.

She decided to take the chance to whisper to her teammates. "Kiba? Shino? Did one of you guys…"

 _"Don't know what you're talking about, Hinata,"_ Kiba said slyly.

 _"Yes, Hinata, please pay attention to your mission,"_ Shino spoke.

_"Yeah, stop ogling that random guy."_

That  _random_  guy seemed to notice her too by the smile that made it's way onto his face.

Kiba and Shino had told him she would need a distraction.

Yeah, he could handle that.

But first…he made his way towards her steadily, making sure to keep his eyes locked on hers. It had been a while since he saw her and he planned on making the most of the moment.

He stopped in front of her, leaving a respectable distance between the two. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted slightly, a hand nervously clutching at her necklace.

His necklace.

Hinata knew then that she would have to break that promise she gave Shino and Kiba. This would not be the last time she sported the gift.

A tender smile made its way to his lips, his eyes softening. She kept it. She  _wore_  it. He gave her a wink and loved the way he was still capable of charming a blush to her cheeks. He bent forward, placing a hand on the skin of her back, moving his mouth to whisper in her ear. He was sure Kiba and Shino were watching and listening to all this but, frankly, he didn't care.

"Hinata, you look ravishing," he said, his voice deep. He saw the way her eyes fluttered shut, her fingers curling around the necklace, her chest rise as she took a deep breath. He moved back slowly, stopping only to place a kiss on her cheek. It would have been considered a friendly touch if he hadn't lingered for a few seconds longer than he should have.

"Naruto…"

"You need a distraction, right?" he asked under his breath, eyes trained on hers.

She swallowed, wanting nothing more than to wrap her arms around him. It had been so long. She still couldn't believe he was standing in front of her. Instead she just nodded.

He smiled and made to walk around her, stopping as they stood shoulder to shoulder. He didn't look at her this time but she knew his words were directed towards her.

"I'm not going to let anything keep us apart."

He moved, ready to create some ruckus, his thoughts briefly remembering his promise to Tsunade.

He wasn't there yet but he would be one day.

He'd change the rule that forced them from each other. Would they give up being spies? Maybe if it came down to it.

Would they find a way back to each other?

Of course.

They always did, didn't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to write a Spy AU by gabzilla-z. I even watched the Spy movie that she was inspired by but for some reason I personally couldn't write these characters in that situation exactly. But I did use a few things I learned from the movie. Also most of the outfits I described were based off of her art work. Check them out! Beautiful work.
> 
> The part where Naruto accidently flirted with Kiba was an idea I tweaked a bit given to me by Zerima on ff.
> 
> As I hope you figured out, a lot of this work was a mix of random situations/events that the two went through. I hope it made sense but I didn't want to put specific time stamps for each event, I wanted it to have a more organic feel. There are a lot of parallels between the scenes because I sort of think their jobs would get repetitive in some sense. I think it came together, hope you guys think so too.
> 
> There's a reason I don't always go into detail when it comes to specific scenes. If I wrote all my ideas for a single AU I'd have to write a full-blown multichapter fic and I don't want to do that at the moment. Takes too much dedication, haha.
> 
> Anyway, please leave a review, reblog, tag, etc. I really appreciate it!
> 
> Take care,
> 
> Magma


	14. AU Prompt 1: Phone Booth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's the middle of the night and I'm walking home alone in the dark and there's this guy following me and he's starting to gain on me and I found this phone booth with a lock on the door and I tried to call my best friend but my hands were shaking so badly I accidentally dialed the wrong number and I don't even know you but help me" AU

_This can't be happening_ , Hinata thought as she walked down a familiar path in the darkened park. She couldn't even check what time it was considering her phone was  _dead_. She walked this path every morning to get to work, and every afternoon on her way back. But now it was late, the moon was covered with clouds, and the trees looked sinister in the shadows.

To top it all off, Hinata was about ninety seven percent sure that there was some strange man following her.

She hunched her shoulders, burying her face into the top of her jacket, hands stuffed in her pockets, as she walked quickly along the paved path. She knew there should be a fork coming up soon…what were the chances that the man would go down her path?

Hinata frowned. Well, fifty, if she was going to be technical, but she was hoping that his trailing behind her was just a coincident.

It wasn't.

She cursed to herself, wishing she took Sakura's offer of staying with them at the party. First of all, she didn't even want to  _go_. But now she really wished she was back there. At least there would have been more people around. She should have called a taxi but she was just so used to walking that way home that it hardly crossed her mind. She regretted a lot of things right now.

Wait. What was that?

She heard the sound of was sounded like liquid sloshing around.

Oh no, the man was  _drunk_? Along with acting like a downright  _creep_ , he was also inebriated? Hinata suppressed a groan. This was not how she wanted to spend her night.

The dark haired woman took a chance and glanced behind her. She felt her hair standing on end. She couldn't really see the mans face but his clothes looked tattered and she could hear him mumbling to himself. He didn't seem to be in the right state of mind.

A cold breeze wafted through the trees. She shivered, wishing she wore something more than shorts and her boots. Her jacket kept her pretty warm but right now she just felt uncomfortable. Hinata fumbled for her phone again, clicking desperately at the buttons. The screen flashed white and she bit her lip in anticipation, only to be disappointed when it turned dark once again.

Hinata swallowed thickly. She was pretty sure she would be able to defend herself if it came down to it, but she wasn't going to lie to herself. She felt a little bit out of sorts. She had had a couple drinks before. She didn't feel drunk, but she wanted to avoid interacting with the man if she could.

His footsteps seemed to get louder.

Hinata's breath hitched and she started walking quicker…only to hear his pace hasten as well.

This was not good. She felt her palms begin to sweat and started to feel clammy. She was  _scared_.

The path had suddenly gotten darker as the trees came closer together and the walkway narrowed. The sound of her shoes echoed and his footsteps sounded heavy as he dragged along behind her.

Then she saw a pinprick of light in the distance.

She knew this place well.

She ran.

She ran and she didn't stop until she was safely inside the lone phone booth in the park situated beside a timeworn stone bench, and a rusted old lamp. It was an old phone booth and she silently cheered at the fact that there was a little lock on the inside. Quickly latching is shut; she glanced outside to see the figure of a man farther in the distance.

She thought hard. Should she just run the rest of the way? She still had several more blocks to go and this city wasn't particularly known for being too kind this late at night. In fact, now that she thought about it, she might consider herself lucky only having encountered one creep so far.

Hinata searched in her small purse for any spare change.

No, it would be better if she just called a friend.

Hinata quickly inserted a few coins into the slot, listening intently to the dial tone as she punched in a number she knew by heart. Her friends apartment.

"Kiba?"

"No," she heard a husky and deep voice say. Oh no she probably woke him up. "It's Naruto."

 _Oh god_. First she was scared. Now she was scared and embarrassed. Why did  _he_ have to pick up? In the spur of the moment she had forgotten that any one of Kiba's roommates could have picked up. She contemplated hanging up but the sight of the mans figure some distance away made her hold her resolve.

"Is this Hinata?"

Hinata nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Ye-yeah. Is Kiba there?" she squeaked.  _God_ , was her shyness around Naruto  _really_  getting in her way right now? This was  _not_  the time.

"No, I think he's at some bar," Naruto said, clearing his throat. "It's late, Hinata, what-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," Hinata said quickly, feeling her hands start to shake as she watched the figure walk underneath a streetlamp. The light illuminated his hooded self, lumbering towards her slowly. "Is Shino there?"

"He's probably sleeping," Naruto said, yawning. "Want me to wake him?"

She hated herself for getting into this type of situation and for having to bother her friends. "I need help," Hinata said finally.

Naruto sounded completely awake now. "What? What's wrong?"

"I was walking home and there's this guy following me and he's getting really close now but my phone was dead so I'm in this phone booth and thank goodness it locks but I'm scared."

She knew she said that really quickly and Naruto was silent for what felt like a really long time.

"Where are you?"

"At the park, near that stone bench we all carved our names into," she whispered. That was a story for another time. "It's only a couple more blocks from my place but-"

"Okay, just…hold on, okay?" Naruto said and she heard shuffling from his side and the jingle of keys. "Do you know my cell number by memory?"

"Yes," she said, twirling her fingers around the cord nervously. "Yeah."

"Alright, I'm coming to get you, Hinata," Naruto said. "But I want to know what's going on. Call me."

"Okay," she said softly, too quietly.

"Hinata."

"Okay," she repeated, a bit louder and more firmly.

She heard the click of the phone and then the dial tone and her heart picked up. For the brief amount of time she was conversing with Naruto she felt a sense of safety. It was silly but his voice had calmed her. But now…?

The man was very close now. Just a few feet away from the telephone booth. He lingered outside, seeming to contemplate his next move. Maybe wait to see if she would come out. Hinata swallowed and carefully inserted a few coins with shaky fingers. She dropped one coin and it rolled underneath a sliver of metal that had peeled off from the frame of the booth. She berated herself under her breath as she checked her pockets for more change, finding none.

 _No, no, no_.

Getting down in her knees, she tried to reach for the coin the best she could in the small confinement. She could hardly see a thing as the streetlamp beside the phone booth flickered eerily.

The sound of a bottle breaking sent a shock through her body. Her head whipped around and she saw the man lumbering closer to her, an empty beer bottle lay in pieces on the ground.

Then a shrill ringing sounded and Hinata jumped up. The phone inside the booth was ringing. Slightly perplexed but not thinking much about it she quickly picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I guess I didn't even give you a chance to give me a call," she heard his familiar voice say. "But I just dialed the callback as I left."

"Where are you?" Hinata asked, watching the man get closer and closer.

"I still have to leave," Naruto said, sounding bitter. She heard the sound of a door shutting and more jingling and then the revving of an engine.

"Are you on your phone and driving?"

"Hinata, this is not the time," Naruto said, a hint of amusement slipping through his voice.

"Sorry," Hinata said, biting her lip. The man was only a few feet away now. "I probably should have called the police, huh?"

Naruto chuckled darkly. "Hinata, I  _am_ a cop."

"Yeah, I know, I just meant-"

"Hey, what are you doing in there?"

Hinata froze.

"Hey, I'm talking to you girl," the man slurred, knocking on the glass door.

"Hinata?" Naruto's voice sounded in her ear.

Hinata turned around slowly as she watched the man continue to bang on the thin glass separating her from him.

"A girl like you shouldn't be alone at night," the man said laughing loudly. "Hey come on out, my place isn't too far from here."

Hinata shivered and she heard Naruto grumbling in her ear, listing out profanity after profanity aimed towards the man harassing her.

"He's drunk," Hinata whispered into the receiver.

"That's no excuse," Naruto spit out. "What an asshole."

"I could probably defend myself-"

"No," Naruto said firmly. "Just-just stay in there until I get there, okay?"

Hinata hesitated. "I know how to fight-"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, you're telling me. I know that but you don't know if he has some type of weapon on his body."

"I guess so."

"And you called for a reason, okay?" he said softly. She could hear cars honking and the occasional screech of a tire but for the most part she tried to concentrate on his soothing voice. "I'd bet you could knock him to the ground but I don't want to take the chance." The man had stopped banging on the phone booth and had headed into the shadows of the trees.

"He's leaving," Hinata spoke, pressing her fingers against the glass. "I can't see him anymore."

Naruto was silent for a few seconds. "I'll be there in five minutes or so."

"Should I get out?"

"No," Naruto insisted. "Just wait it out. You don't know where he went. Maybe he has friends. Just-"

"Oh, I see why he left," Hinata said, her throat feeling dry as she watched the man lurk into view once more. He was holding something long. He staggered from the weight of the item and from how intoxicated he was.

"Hinata, what is it?" Naruto said, sounding worried. "Talk to me."

"I think he has…I think he has a stick?"

"A stick." It was a statement. Naruto was perplexed.

"A branch," HInata corrected.

She didn't know it but Naruto's eyebrows were twisted in confusion before his eyes widened in realization. "Like a  _club_?"

Hinata nodded before shaking her head at her silly antic. He couldn't see her. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hinata, back away from him. As far as you can," Naruto said quickly, sounding agitated.

She did as she was told and soon she could hear the mans drunken ramblings as he paced around the phone booth she was stuck in. She was starting to come to understand why he was so worried. The man raised the large piece of wood and brought it down hard against the glass pane.

She yelped. She couldn't help it. The sound was loud and it shook the entire frame of the cubicle.

" _Hinata_ , are you okay?" Naruto asked urgently.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said, her voice louder than usual as the man continued his incessant banging, this time with the large branch. She winced each time it made contact. "You know, I think he might actually break the glass," she said. She sounded oddly calm, even to herself. Why wasn't she worried? Maybe it was the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She didn't know but she watched thin cracks form in the glass, branching out like a spider web.

Naruto didn't even know what to say. "This guy is  _so_  going to jail," he whispered angrily. "I contacted the precinct so someone should be coming by pretty soon."

Hinata winced when the man swung down his weapon once more, staring back at her through his ragged hood, a drunken leer set on his face. "Where are you, Naruto?"

"Almost there," she heard him say. "I can't drive through the park though. I'll be coming by foot soon."

Hinata watched the man raise his arm to strike down once more but he paused, arms hanging in the air. He wobbled before hunching over and spilling his insides on the ground. Hinata's face scrunched up in disgust as the smell from his vomit wafted through the cracks in the glass.

"Good," she heard Naruto mutter in her ear. He must have heard the splattering of the liquid and chunks on the ground, and his retching.

The man stood on shaky feet, looking at her with confusion before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he crumbled to the ground in dead faint.

Hinata gasped.

 _"What?_ " Naruto asked with urgency. "What? Don't  _do_  that."

"I think he blacked out," she said softly, leaning forward just the slightest to see if she could get a visual the mans face.

Naruto's voice was a bit ragged now as he spoke to her, just wanting her to continue talking so he knew things were okay. "Almost there," he said.

Hinata stared at the limp body of the man on the ground. "Should I get out?"

"I don't know…" Naruto said, honestly unsure. She could hear the sound of his footsteps on the hard ground.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, turning away from the man and looking out into the darkness in the directions he assumed Naruto would come from.

" _Why_  would you be sorry?"

Hinata frowned. "I'm causing so much trouble. I woke you up and you probably have work tomorrow and-"

"Hinata, I want you to promise you'll always call me if you're in  _any_  sort of trouble-"

"But-"

"No matter how small you might think it is."

Naruto listened to her quiet breathing as he rushed through the park, knowing full well where she was. He heard her soft-spoken affirmation just as the flickering light from the streetlamp came into view.

"I see you," she said softly. She gave Naruto a small, hesitant wave as he slowed down from his run and walked towards her, smiling.

"Where's the guy?" he asked into the phone, glancing around. But then his nose wrinkled in disgust as he smelled the puke. He hung up as he came closer, his eyes trained on hers. She unlocked the door to the booth and stepped out daintily, glancing back at the man.

Naruto came up to her side and frowned at the lump on the ground. They could hear sirens in the background and Naruto mentioned it must be the cops he called. They stood in silence for a while as the sound of the sirens got closer. She glanced at Naruto from the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile.

"Nice shorts," she teased with a smile, her hand at her mouth and a blush on her cheeks.

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked down at his frog-patterned shorts.

"Oh my god, I didn't," he muttered to himself. Did he  _really_  leave the house in his  _boxers_?

Hinata was freely laughing now, her previous anxiety and fear dissipating now that she knew she would be okay.

Her laughter was contagious. He felt himself crack and his smile grew to laughter. Shaking his head he took her hand in his, not noticing the abrupt way she stopped laughing, red adorning her cheeks.

"C'mon, Hinata," he said, leading her away from the telephone booth. "I'll take you home."


	15. One-Shot 11: Superhero AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which human Hinata likes human Naruto and superhero Naruto likes superhero Hinata. Also mind controlling villain. Sometimes killing is inevitable.

She sighed, gently dropping the unconscious man to the ground. Without even turning around she knew.

He was back.

"I can handle this one," she said quietly, sure he could hear.

He was quiet for a while, no doubt watching her as she pulled the would have been thieves to the side. She lugged hard, slightly embarrassed he was watching her struggle with the weight of one. She may have had exceptional eyesight, capable of seeing through walls, and seeing people's pressure points among other things, but she certainly didn't have super strength like the popular pink haired superhero in the area.

"Need some help?" he spoke. She had inactivated her special eyesight, knowing he would handle if anyone that came along from behind. Even without seeing his face she could hear the laughter in his voice.

She pursed her lips. "I'm fine," she insisted, straightening up. She made sure her hooded cloak was properly covering her face, grimaced at the tears in her dark jeans, and told herself to remember to wipe away the grime from her boots once she got home before she decided to give the man behind her attention.

She almost smiled. Every time she saw his outfit she couldn't help but be surprised. She normally dressed in dark clothes. It was easier to go on patrol when she could blend in with the night. But he…he wore dark pants, and she was pretty sure he had a mask under his hood…but it was that hoodie that got to her. Bright orange. In no way inconspicuous. To add to the look, there were even crudely sewn on triangles at the top of his hood. She was pretty sure they were supposed to resemble ears but she never bothered to ask.

"Kitsune," she said politely.

Through the dim light of a nearby streetlight she saw him grin, the rest of his face in shadow. "And I still don't know what to call you."

She shrugged. "I don't have a superhero name."

"Do you have a name at least?" he asked slyly, slinking closer.

"I do," she said. "But secret identities remember?" With that she stepped towards the street, giving him a small wave before running off.

He watched her go, the goofy grin still on his face. He would be able to catch up to her easily. With his speed and agility, slightly heightened senses and strength it would be simple. But he let her go and turned to go in the other direction. She could handle that part of town. He knew he was bound to run into a couple other heroes…and villains. It was a big area and he was friendly with a lot of them but for some reason, something drew him to the nameless hero.

.

* * *

.

A shrill ring woke him up.

He sat up with a jolt, slamming his hand down on the alarm.

"Shit, shit," he exclaimed, throwing the covers off of himself. "I'm late!" He scrambled out of his room, almost running into his roommate on his way out.

"Watch it, Naruto," Sasuke said, making his way to the kitchen.

"I'm late!" Naruto yelled in his face before slamming the bathroom door shut.

"When are you not?" his friend mumbled to himself. "How long were you out?"

"Not sure," Naruto shouted, mouth full of toothpaste. "Got into a tough fight near the end."

Sasuke said nothing; instead he started flipping through the daily newspaper, eyes narrowed. He was off duty today but that didn't mean he had a day off. He still had his masked job to go to. When Naruto came rushing into the kitchen, one arm through his jacket, the other grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl he spoke.

"What do you think about these weird incidents happening lately?"

Naruto paused, zipping up his coat. "It's weird. Looks like suicides."

"Looks like it."

Naruto stared at his friend. "You don't think it is do you?"

"Too many suicides."

"Autopsy reports indicate just that though," Naruto said, moving to put on his shoes.

"You think it's a coincident?" Sasuke asked, sipping on his black coffee.

Naruto got up, smoothing out his wrinkles as he grabbed his keys. He scoffed. "Please, even I'm not naïve enough to believe that anything is just a coincidence in Konoha."

With a short wave, he shut the door behind him.

.

* * *

.

Naruto walked in to the precinct, nodding politely to a couple other officers. He heard a familiar voice, talking in hushed voices as he turned the corner. At the end of the hall he saw Hinata conversing with Kiba. She held a hand up to his face, looking worried. Naruto figured Kiba got into some altercation during a patrol and Hinata, being one of his partners, was no doubt concerned.

They stopped talking abruptly and turned to give him a wave. He grinned and continued on his way, opening the door to the office area, cubicles scattered around the room. He made his way to the only pink haired woman in the room and leaned over her desk, snatching up a bag of chips on her desk.

"Did Kiba go out on patrol recently?" he asked, munching loudly as Sakura typed something on the computer.

"Don't think so, why do you ask?" she said, blinking up at him with green eyes. "Does it have something to do with Hinata?" she smirked at him and he frowned.

"No…why would you say that?"

Sakura put her arms on the table and rest her chin in her hands, staring at him knowingly. "You two have been hanging out a lot more lately."

" _So_?" Naruto asked, shrugging nonchalantly, surveying the room. Hinata had walked in, her dark hair, glistening almost blue in the light, chattering with Kiba and Shino, her partners on the force. Naruto frowned.

"Oh," Sakura said, teasing gone from her voice. "I almost forgot about your mystery woman."

"Keep it down," Naruto hissed.

Sakura sighed. Naruto was her friend…but Hinata was too and she knew what Hinata felt towards the blonde blunder. But if Naruto didn't feel the same way, there was nothing she could do about it. But she was sure he felt  _something_. She knew him.

"Well, anyway," Sakura said, straightening some papers. "Kiba and Shino are going to patrol together today and Hinata's in need of a temporary partner."

Naruto nodded. "I'll talk to her."

A small group of cops walked past the area, slapping Sakura on the back, telling her good job, calling her Cherry.

Sakura smiled politely but as soon as they left she grimaced and groaned into her hands.

Naruto laughed. "Cherry."

"If my hair wasn't pink I'd be able to have a secret identity," she said.

Naruto shrugged. "At least you have nothing to hide. And people like you so there's that."

Sakura nodded. "But  _Cherry_?" she whispered. "It sounds like a terrible strippers name."

Naruto laughed and went to search for Hinata.

.

* * *

.

He found her in the staff kitchen, brewing some tea.

"You're the least stereotypical cop I know," Naruto said, leaning against the counter next to her.

She glanced at him, a small smile on her face. "Why?"

"Where's the coffee? The donuts?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"I got all the donuts," Choji said, dropping off a couple boxes on the table. "Help yourself."

Naruto cheered, grabbing a glazed donut. "Thanks Choji, you rock."

Choji just laughed and handed Hinata a small paper bag. "Got your favorite too, Hinata."

She opened it up and pulled out a cinnamon roll, still gooey and hot. She thanked her friend profusely, telling him he was spoiling the entire precinct but Choji just waved her off and went to join his team.

"Is there something you needed, Naruto?" Hinata asked, sipping on her drink.

"Sakura tells me you need a partner and I think I'm just the man!" he said, puffing out his proudly.

She giggled, a blush coming to her cheeks.

Naruto deflated and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, if you'll take me."

Hinata smiled sweetly. "Best cop in the city? I'd be honored."

Naruto chuckled nervously, not sure how to take a compliment. He didn't realize then but she was one of those rare people who were able to affect him so.

"I'm sure it'll just be a normal, no nonsense day," he said hopefully.

It never is.

.

* * *

.

"Hey, Hinata can I ask you something?" Naruto asked when their conversation came to a lull.

"Anything," Hinata said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and Naruto couldn't help but trace the movement with his eyes.

Naruto cleared his throat. "How come you didn't talk to me much while we were all training at the police academy?" He watched her cheeks go pink as she looked away, taking a shaky sip from her styrofoam cup.

"Uh, well…"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Actually forget about it. You don't have to tell me. I'm not offended or anything if you didn't like me."

"No, no, it's not that!" Hinata said frantically. "It's quite the opposite-" she slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes going wide, face red. "I mean to say-"

"Hinata," Naruto said her name in a singsong voice, eyes twinkling, leaning towards her with a grin. Then his gaze moved upwards, past her and he moved to the door. "Hinata!" he said, his tone changing immediately. "Let's go!"

She followed unquestioningly, immediately seeing what made him change topics so quickly.

A crowd of people were punching each other, fighting, screaming, bleeding.

"What-"

"Stop!" Naruto shouted, pulling two people away from each other but they yelled loudly, pushing back. "What's  _wrong_  with you people?"

Hinata jumped in to to help, sending a call for backup before trying to pull a woman who was scratching at another mans face. It was futile, there were so many. Shooting them would be a ridiculous option. What even incited a group of people like this to just suddenly fight? There was no logical explanation-

"STOP!"

And they did. Everyone.

Hinata felt herself freeze. Her mind was telling her to move, to do something but she  _couldn't_. She had to stop.

"What the fuck," she heard Naruto mumble as he weaved through the crowd towards her. He looked towards the sound of the voice but whoever spoke those words seemed to be hiding. "Hinata, let's go."

She tried. She really tried. "I-I can't," she said. "Naruto, I can't move."

"That's right," came a male voice from somewhere within the crowd. Naruto whipped around to look for the man but the sheer mass of people prevented him from doing so. The man said something else, something Naruto couldn't catch, but suddenly the crowd of people parted, forming a gap straight down the middle and Naruto stared at the man on the other side. He had white hair, and a sinister smile.

"Officer," he said, bowing politely.

Naruto pulled out his gun and aimed it steadily. "Stop right there. Put your hands-"

"I'm not used to being commanded," the man said slowly, picking at his fingernails. "As you can see, I  _give_  the commands."

"Like hell," Naruto snarled, taking threatening steps closer to him.

"Stop," the man ordered once again, his smile vanishing when he realized Naruto would  _not_  stop. "What? How-"

"I need you to come with me," Naruto continued, getting closer.

"Stop!" the man shouted, stepping back. "You!" he pointed somewhere behind Naruto. "You! Shoot yourself-"

Naruto stopped and turned around only to see Hinata pull out her gun.

"Hinata-"

"-unless your partner lets me go away."

Hinata paused-gun at her head, staring at Naruto.

"Hinata, what are you  _doing_?" Naruto asked. But he knew. He knew this man he was facing wasn't just a normal man. He was gifted, like Naruto himself was. But he was using it for his own selfish needs.

"I have to shoot myself," Hinata said. "I have to shoot myself."

"No, no, beautiful," the man said smugly. "Shoot yourself only if your friend doesn't let me go."

Naruto glared at the man, cursing him under his breath. Of  _course_  he'll let him go. That wasn't even a question and the white haired man knew it.

He held up a hand. "I'll see you around," he said as if it were a promise. He stared at Naruto curiously with narrowed eyes before turning and walking away as if it was the easiest thing in thee world. As if he didn't just condemn these people to stand still for who knows how long. As if he didn't almost make Hinata take her own life.

Naruto rushed towards her taking the gun from her hands. She was trembling, trying to keep herself together.

"I almost killed myself," she whispered to him, leaning against him heavily, too scared to even feel her usual shyness around him.

"No, it's not your fault," Naruto said, hushing her. He looked around at the crowd but they stood still. "It's not your fault…"

.

* * *

.

Months went by and the man still wasn't caught. They got a name. Toneri. Apparently he was able to, in some unknown way, make it so people would obey his wishes. Whatever he said, they would do.

And for some reason Naruto was immune.

"It doesn't make sense," Naruto said, shoveling down his dinner. "You guys have powers and yet…"

"Yeah…" Sakura said, shivering as she leaned against Sasuke. "I found him during my night patrol as  _Cherry_ ," she snorted. "And thank goodness he only made me knock myself out."

"Only?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, better than shoot myself," Sakura said before wincing at the look on Naruto's face. "Sorry. She's alright though."

"She was traumatized, Sakura," Naruto said, covering his face. "God, I promised I would keep her safe."

"Promised who?"

"Myself," he said. "Ever since…"

No one said anything but they knew. When they all became full-fledged officers Naruto got himself into some trouble. He was supposed to stop some drug deal from going down but things went downhill quickly. Long story short, she took a bullet for him.

"She was so upset," Naruto continued. Even months later…the look on her face…the absolute terror… "She said she never felt that helpless." Naruto slammed his hand down on the counter, cracking it, unable to suppress his strength. "I'm going to catch that bastard."

"We'll help," Sasuke said instantly.

Naruto shook his head. "No, that'll only cause more trouble."

"But-" Sakura started to interrupt.

"No," Naruto insisted. "Imagine if we did find him, okay? And then imagine he told you guys to fight me. What then? You guys would  _have_  to do it because of his insane powers and I'm not going to kill you guys just to get to him."

"But he's strong," Sakura said quietly. "All those suicides…"

Hinata holding a gun to her head flashed in his mind and he clenched his teeth.

"He may know me as the cop he can't control but he doesn't know the superhero me. I'll get him."

.

* * *

.

"You're going out  _again_?" Kiba asked his friend exasperatedly.

"I have to," Hinata said, strapping on her boots. "There are people out there that need my help."

"What about that Toneri guy?" Kiba said, pushing himself in front of the door.

"Kiba, please," she said quietly. "I invited you to my place for dinner because your arm is broken-"

"And Shino was the one to break it," Kiba said, not blaming his friend. "Because of  _Toneri_."

"You need to rest."

"God damn it, Hinata, if we didn't knock him out Shino could have killed us. If Toneri didn't  _choose_  to let us go we would be dead."

Hinata inhaled deeply. "I don't think he wants to kill me."

Kiba scoffed. "Of course not, he has the hots for you."

Hinata groaned, covering her face with one hand, gently massaging her temple.

"Well, he  _does_ ," Kiba said.

 _"I would like you to come to me willingly,"_ Toneri had said.  _"But I have no qualms about forcing you if need be. But…preferably I would not."_

"I don't even know why," Hinata said, pushing Kiba gently to the side.

"Probably saw you at work, to be honest," Kiba said with a shrug. "Not our police work, but the whole vigilante gig."

Hinata giggled. "You can't even see my face under this," she said.

Kiba shrugged. "Well he likes something about you and you  _have_  to be careful. You're not immune to him. Not like…"

Kiba's eyes went wide and Hinata immediately frowned. "No," she said. "No, I will not involve Naruto in this. It's dangerous!"

"And for some reason that bastard can't be controlled by Toneri!" Kiba exclaimed. "Probably his thick skull or something."

Hinata shook her head but couldn't help but laugh.

"Go home, Kiba," Hinata said. "I'll see you at work."

And with that she went into the night.

.

* * *

.

"I'm not surprised to see you here," masked Naruto said, arms crossed as he leaned against a wall near Hinata.

She wasn't surprised. He couldn't sneak up on her when she had her eyesight activated. But for some reason his demeanor, the way he held himself reminded her of Naruto. It did a  _lot_ actually. More than she cared to admit but she wrote it off as her being too concerned when it came to that man.

"You came here purposefully," she said.

Naruto, or  _Kit_ , as people liked to call him due to the fox persona he took on, grinned. "Well, I had to see your pretty face at least once didn't I, Hime?"

Hinata laughed. "You've never seen my face." She also wasn't surprised with the name he called her. He started that a long time ago, when he once saw her perched on a rooftop, the moon silhouette behind her. He walked up to her and said she looked like a princess.

Naruto gave an exaggerated sigh. "And how unfortunate too, I'm sure it's an amazing face."

"And you'll never know," she said with an airy laugh.

Naruto pouted. "And why not? We're friends now right? We've even fought people together, done laps around the city, saved each other-"

"Secret identities are an important thing," she said gently.

Naruto was quiet as he watched her stare out at the city, a breeze somehow causing a lock of her hair to flow out of her hood. It glinted in the moonlight, dark, almost…blue. His eyes widened and suddenly he felt  _guilty_.

This woman reminded him so much of Hinata. The way she moved when they fought together, her laugher, her voice. She reminded him of Hinata…the girl that cared for him… And associating with Hime made him feel  _guilty_  and  _wrong_.

"I…I'll go watch over the other side of town," he said, clearing his throat. "Take care of yourself."

She watched him go, head tilted in wonder.

.

* * *

.

The precinct was going crazy. More deaths, people doing weird things, sometimes in bunches, sometimes not.

"Twelve hours you said?" Naruto asked, leaning towards the computer.

All the cops were gathered for a meeting, discussing what to do about Toneri. One time a group of policemen actually found the villain but they never returned. He had ordered them to shoot themselves. Even when they tried to stop themselves they said they couldn't. That they  _had_  to. They  _wanted_ to. But those thoughts weren't their own.

"Yep," Shikamaru said, analyzing the data. "We found a guy staring at a fence for about twelve hours or so. Peed himself and everything. He just couldn't move."

"That's insane," Kiba said, shaking his head.

Shikamaru nodded. "His… _commands_  last for about twelve hours unless he orders you again."

"But if you could some how make it so they aren't conscious," Sakura said. "Knock them out. They don't have to follow his instructions."

"Okay…" Naruto said, nodding slowly. "That's something but that doesn't tell us how to stop him."

Shikamaru gave Naruto a hard look. "You're the answer to that," he said. "We don't know what it is about you, your will, your genes, or what but you're not affected by his powers."

Naruto nodded understandingly. "Okay, that's fine."

"Thing is you can't have backup," Shikamaru said. His eyes widened. "Unless…"

The rest of the officers waited but the man would say nothing else. They sighed and left him alone to think. When he got like this they all knew not to bother him.

.

* * *

.

Many more weeks passed and the man still wasn't caught. He was good. He switched homes easily. Telling the residents that they wanted him there, that they wanted to feed him, let him use their facilities. He went to underground gambling rings, told the players to go all in only to tell them after to fold. He would walk out with millions.

.

* * *

.

Hinata exhaled slowly, taking in the city. She could see so many things, so many details, it was amazing. She did her best to respect people's privacy given that she could see through walls but other than that sometimes the view of the city was..relaxing.

She loved what she did. Sometimes it was painful. She found she bruised easily. She was quick with her reflexes but in most aspects she was… _normal_. Her eyes were extraordinary but the rest of her was simply human. She trained herself the best she could but sometimes she found herself wishing she had abilities similar to some of her other friends or the other super heroes she knows about. If she could run like the hero that ran around in a green jumpsuit she'd be able to make it to trouble faster. She was fine with the strength she had because she aimed for people's pressure points. A few correct hits and they'd be pudding in her hands.

Hinata froze, her eyes shifting to the right. Her vision was almost three hundred and sixty degrees so she couldn't miss his approach.

"I've been watching you, you know?"

She turned, hands held in front of her ready to strike, eyes narrowed. She said nothing, but wished he would stop talking. The fact was she really  _didn't_  know. He could easily have ordered people to watch her and report back to him. It made her feel disgusting. Dirty.

He continued his approach, not even afraid that her strikes could bring him down. A small smirk graced his lips, his white hair glinting in the moonlight.

"You're known as Hime around these parts did you know?" he asked, stopping a few steps in front of her. He waited for a response but frowned when he didn't receive one. "Answer me."

Immediately words poured from her mouth even though she didn't want them to. "I know."

"You have a beautiful voice," he continued. "Does your face match?"

Hinata's eyes widened, knowing fully well what he would intend to do next. She moved quickly, watching his eyes widen and his mouth open in surprise.

" _Stop_ ," he exclaimed.

And she did.

She stopped, hand only inches away from him, frozen.

His smile returned.

"Straighten up," he ordered. She stood, almost at attention. "Now…you want to remove your hood, don't you?"

Hinata's heart was beating quickly but her she wanted to. "I do." Her hands moved and she pushed the fabric back, her dark hair tumbling onto her back.

"Ah, that can't do," he said moving closer, walking around her in circles. "You do have beautiful hair and that skin is lovely," he admired. "But that mask ruins the effect," he said, running a finger along the black around her eyes. "You would like to take it off, right?"

"I would like to take it off," she repeated, hands moving up to her face.

"What's your name?" he asked, watching as she undid the tie. Hinata remained silent and his eyes narrowed. " _Tell_  me your name. Your real one."

"Hinata," she said, pulling off the mask.

He smiled. "You're that woman…" he said in a hushed tone. "That cop- the partner of the one who's… _immune_  to my abilities." The look on his face resembled disgust- as though he hated saying those words. He stared at her, contemplating something. "I'll be back," he said simply. "Don't tell anyone you saw me. Don't follow me. Just go about your business. Save people, it doesn't matter. You'll see me again."

It took a while for Hinata to gather herself even after he left.  _Twelve hours_ , she thought. Twelve hours until she could tell someone about this. Hinata snatched up her mask and tied it back on, breathing quickly. Toneri didn't tell her to  _keep_  it off. She followed his order so her mind wasn't screaming to do what was told.

She moved to the edge of the building, grasping on the ledge, her fingers clawing into the stone. Her legs trembled. She felt that way again. She felt that helplessness…unable to say or do what she wanted. She was…she was basically a puppet.

Hinata crouched down and placed her forehead against the cold bricks, taking deep, shuddery breaths.

 _"I'll be back,"_  he had said.

"No, no, no," she whispered to herself. She didn't want to feel that way. She  _didn't_.

.

* * *

.

Naruto held a man's hand behind his back and pushed him up against the wall.

"What's with it you guys and committing these petty crimes?" he muttered before knocking him out with a swift hit to the head. He noticed this guy lurking around someone's apartment, carrying a large pipe. It wasn't very discrete. He was wearing a ski mask and everything. Naruto had snorted, making his way towards him. He let himself be known by asking if he got this idea from some daytime television show.

That had been a while ago, now he continued making his way around the town, jumping from building to building. He looked up at the moon, figuring he was out for a couple hours now. He should probably be heading home to sleep, He had to get up early for work.

Naruto sighed. He didn't even get to see Hime tonight. It was silly but they would some how find each other during their nightly missions and occasionally go on patrol together. Either she would see him, with her superb vision (he thought about this with a grin- it was so incredibly cool to him) or he would sense her and he'd immediately change his course (unless someone was causing trouble).

And he did sense her.

Naruto took a turn, deciding home could wait.

He saw her silhouette crouched on top of the roof and he moved closer. She seemed to realize he was nearing and stood abruptly, pulling her hood on. He slowed down as he got closer, allowing her to grow comfortable. He didn't understand why her hood was down in the first place or why she was so fidgety.

"Hey, Hime," he said, joining her at the edge.

"Hi, Kitsune," she said, angling her body away from him. That was odd behavior even for her.

"Are you okay?" he asked slowly, leaning towards her.

She shifted once again, her body faced away from him. "I'm fine," she said curtly, swallowing thickly. "I'm fine," she repeated. Even to him it sounded as though she said those words more for herself than him.

.

* * *

.

Hinata was acting  _weird_.

Naruto sat at his desk, hands tucked under his chin as he observed her going about her business. She looked flustered and jumpy, her eyes darting this way and that. She walked by Kiba and Shino's desk more often than usual and-

"You've been staring at her forever," came a hushed voice by his ear.

His eyes slid to his right and he sighed. "I have  _not_ , Sakura."

She laughed lightly, taking a seat beside him. "If you say so."

He pursed his lips. "She seems worried," he finally said.

Sakura followed his gaze, watching as Hinata whispered something to Kiba, eyes wide. Her friend stood up abruptly and pulled her into a tight hug, whispering something into her ear, running his hand through her hair comfortingly. Sakura glanced back at Naruto and noticed the way the muscles around his jaws tightened, how his eyes narrowed.

"Maybe it's a family problem?" she guessed, giving him a small shrug.

Naruto shook his head. "She looks  _scared_ ," he said quietly.

Sakura was silent for a moment. "The whole city is scared," she said. "There's a man on the loose that could get anyone to do  _anything_. They don't know who they can trust. Their family members might be under his control. Everyone's on edge."

Naruto  _knew_  that. He knew it and he hated it. He had to stop this Toneri guy. But in this moment he was thinking about Hinata and  _her_  well-being.

He watched as Shino got up as well and placed a hand on her back, whispering something else to his friend. She pulled away from Kiba and nodded. He could make out her lips-she was thanking them.

Someone nudged him and he turned to look at Sakura, her eyes twinkling.

"Go talk to her, why don't you?" she teased, winking.

Naruto laughed, feeling his ears go red. He grabbed the office chair Sakura was seated on and pushed her to the side, watching her laugh as she went.

.

* * *

.

Hinata didn't go out on patrol since that day. It had been so long and she was starting to get antsy. She had told Kiba and Shino what happened as soon as Toneri's effects wore off. They told her they would do extra rounds of patrol but she insisted that's not what she wanted. She just had to tell someone what happened. She just needed them to know. They visited her a lot lately but she still craved to leave the house.

She inhaled deeply, taking in the cold night air.

Hinata didn't normally activate her enhanced eyesight while she was at home, especially not while she was outside without a mask so it surprised even her when she felt the sensation of someone watching her. She felt this way since the meeting with Toneri but she put it off as paranoia. She shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms. She was just being paranoid again…that's what it was.

Then she heard a thump and a hushed curse.

Hinata whipped around and looked up at the roof of her penthouse apartment. She wasn't the one to choose the place, her father insisted on her renting it out when she moved out. But that didn't matter right now.

Instinctively Hinata activated her eyes and she saw the distinct shape of a hooded man with spikes on top. She almost laughed but quickly deactivated her powers before speaking.

"What are you doing here, Kitsune?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He shuffled out a few moments later, watching her from above. "I-uh…"

Hinata giggled. "You remind me of a friend of mine," she spoke.

She couldn't see it, but Naruto grinned. "Oh yeah? Is he a nice guy?"

"Very nice," Hinata said, nodding.

"Tell me more about this friend," Naruto teased, getting comfortable on the rooftop. He watched her laugh before sitting up straight, sensing someone approaching. He groaned and pulled his hood down lower, slouching down low.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.

"Just wait," he muttered.

Soon enough Hinata saw something pink come closer before the woman landed beside Naruto, slapping him hard on the back. It was intended to be a friendly gesture but it still hurt.

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed. "What are you-"

"What are  _you_  doing here,  _Kitsune_?" she asked, giving Hinata a little wave.

"I was just in the area!" the masked man said a little too quickly.

Sakura crossed her arms and nodded slowly. "Okay then, continue on your way," she said pushing him from the roof.

"Hey, hey," he started, trying his best to stop her from pushing (impossible of course). "Why don't  _you_  go?"

"I'll be happy to," Sakura said. "But I'm here to visit my friend Hinata. Are you here visiting her too?" she asked innocently.

Hinata was watching their interaction with interest. She saw Kitsune turn and whisper something furiously into Sakura's ear and she watched her sigh and clasp his shoulder, her mouth moving.

"Fine, fine," Kitsune said. "I'll leave you guys to do whatever," he hopped down to the ledge, pausing beside Hinata for a second too long. He cleared his throat before heading off again.

Hinata watched him leave in silence for a few seconds. "I'm confused," she said.

She heard Sakura's laughter from behind her. "C'mon, Hinata. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

.

* * *

.

"What are you doing up so late anyway?" Sakura asked, sipping on the coffee Hinata made.

"Couldn't sleep," her dark haired friend said with a shrug.

"Are you worried about that Toneri guy?" Sakura asked.

Hinata suddenly looked alert. "Why would you ask that?"

"Everyone's worried about him," she answered, Hinata's change in demeanor not going unnoticed by her. "But-"

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. Both women turned their heads, eyebrows pinched together.

"Isn't it too late for company?" Sakura asked, her voice low, eyes still trained on the door.

Hinata activated her eyes, not too concerned in Sakura finding out about her alter ego. She knew about both the lives her friend lived so she was coming to terms that it would be okay if her friends knew about her own. Sakura was paying no heed to Hinata at the moment though so she missed her friends mouth open in shock and looked only after the veins around her eyes disappeared.

"It's him," Hinata whispered. She stood and faced Sakura.

"Who?" Sakura asked, following.

"You have to go," Hinata said. "It's Toneri. He can take control of you- use your powers for bad."

Sakura frowned. "I'm not leaving you-"

"Sakura the only one that can stop him is Naruto and he's probably at home sleeping," Hinata whispered under her breath. She wasn't too sure about that but right now she was thinking the worst.

Sakura pulled out her phone. "Trust me, Hinata."

"Hinata," came a singsong voice from the other side of the door.

"Put on headphones," Sakura whispered. "Blast the music. If you can't hear him you don't have to listen right?"

It was worth a try but as soon as Hinata moved, Toneri spoke again.

"Open the door, Hinata," his voice said.

Immediately Hinata moved.

"Hinata,  _no_ ," Sakura said, stowing her phone back into her pocket.

"I have to, Sakura," she said, moving her hand towards the doorknob. Immediately Sakura grabbed hold of her arm tightly.

"Let me in, Hinata," Toneri said.

"Let  _go_ , Sakura," Hinata said, struggling to reach the door.

"Hinata,  _stop_ ," Sakura said. "Stop! You'll break your arm." Hinata was doing her best to get away, twisting and turning and Sakura was indeed worried that she would break a bone.

"I  _have_  to open the door," Hinata exclaimed. "I have to!"

"And you won't stop her," Toneri's voice came again.

Hinata felt Sakura's hold on her loosen and she lunged towards the door, swinging it open. She didn't even question how he made it past the doorman downstairs because he could have easily just told the man to let him up.

Toneri walked in like he owned the place, eyes roving around, taking in her apartment. Sakura moved towards him but he held up a hand and said, "You won't attack me." She stopped, cursing and grumbling. "And neither will you, Hinata," he said, the look on her face telling him she really wanted to. "What a beautiful place," Toneri admired, walking around. He grabbed the now cold cup of coffee on the counter and took a sip. "Could use less sugar," he commented.

"What are you doing here," Hinata hissed.

"I told you I'd be back."

" _Why_?"

Toneri turned and looked at her. "It was easy finding where you lived once I knew who you really were," he said. He glanced at Sakura. "Does your friend know?" Hinata said nothing and she took her silence as a no. "Well…you know what? Hinata, my dear, you want to take your friend out, don't you?"

Hinata turned to look at Sakura. "I want to take her out," she said robotically and moved, not even turning on her eyes. She knew where peoples pressure points would be by heart and she shot out her hand, hitting a certain spot on Sakura's arm, making the pink haired woman lose sensation.

"Hinata!" Sakura exclaimed, surprised. "Stop!"

"I  _can't_ ," Hinata said, throwing out a leg. Sakura caught it and pulled, Hinata falling to the ground.

"I'm so sorry about this, Hinata," Sakura said, raising her fist above her head.

Hinata's vision went black and she accepted it with relief.

.

* * *

.

Naruto was many houses away, grumbling to himself.

"What are you doing here, Kitsune?" he mocked, copying Sakura's tone of voice. He had actually checked on Hinata several times since that day he saw her in the precinct. He was worried about her and just wanted to make sure she was all right.

His phone dinged and he pulled it out.

 _He's here_.

Two words from Sakura and his mouth went dry. She didn't need to explain anything else. He knew.

He retraced his steps, running as fast as he could, hoping- _praying_  he wouldn't be too late. He wasn't even tired when he reached the balcony but what he saw drew the breath out of him. It was as if he were watching Sakura pull her arm back in slow motion, her mouth movement unreadable, her own face apologetic, Hinata's of grief, before coming to contact with the dark haired woman.

 _"NO!"_  he yelled, tearing through the apartment. He saw Hinata fall, her dark hair flowing behind her before she hit the ground unconscious. Naruto tackled Sakura to the side, pushing her to the ground.

"Na-Kitsune!" she amended, roughly pushing him off. "He's here! He's-"

Naruto followed the point of her finger as his vision narrowed in on the white haired man standing near the entrance of the door, eyes wide at the change he hadn't expected. Naruto glanced down at Hinata's unmoving body and he felt anger flare up inside of him. His fingers curled into a fist and he took steady steps towards the man causing chaos in  _his_ city.

"Stop," Toneri demanded, raising a hand. "You're fists can't reach me."

Naruto felt a cold sense of satisfaction curl inside of him as he watched the horror that crossed the villains face when he realized that Naruto indeed did  _not_  stop. He picked up his face, ready to transition into a run when Toneri spoke again.

"Stop him," he said, eyes turned towards Sakura.

Naruto turned just in time as he sensed her descent. He moved out of the way, making his way around the apartment in an attempt to avoid her fists.

"Sakura-" he started, seeing Toneri disappear to the hall from the corner of his eye. He cursed, and sprinted towards the door only to come crashing to the floor as Sakura grabbed him by the ankle. Her steel tight grip was impossible to relinquish and they wrestled on the ground, him trying to escape without hurting her, and her doing her best to restrain him.

Minutes passed and he knew Toneri probably found a way to make himself vanish.

"Sakura,  _stop_ ," he struggled as she pressed against his throat.

"I  _can't_ ," she trembled.

"You can," Naruto said, pushing against her shoulders. "You did what he said. You stopped me."

Her eyes widened as the words clicked in her mind. She did. She did what he did. The clawing in her brain stopped, she felt satisfied as if she completed her purpose. She rolled off him immediately, back against the floor, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I'm sorry."

Naruto took a shaky breath, coughing before getting onto his knees and crawling his way over to Hinata. He checked her injury, relieved that she would be okay. Sakura knew her own strength; she did the minimum harm that she needed.

"He knows," Naruto said quietly, gathering Hinata in his arms, savoring the weight of her.

Sakura rolled to her feet, watching as Naruto placed Hinata gently on the bed.

"Knows?"

"He knows who I am," Naruto finished. "Who else resisted his powers?"

Sakura swallowed. "Shit."

That was the understatement of the year.

.

* * *

.

Toneri was off their radar for a while but Naruto didn't let down his guard. He knew the villain was smart enough to come to the conclusion about his real identity. He wasn't even scared that he would come after him…in fact he  _hoped_  he would.

There  _was_  one thing he was worried about. He was afraid that Toneri would do something rash-that he would command innocent strangers to do dangerous things in order to get to him. Another question kept nagging at him as well- why was he so enamored with Hinata?  _He_  as in Toneri, Naruto found himself telling himself. Why was  _Toneri_  obsessed with Hinata?

And now that Toneri knew he was both Naruto and Kitsune what would happen to his friends? Would they get caught in the crossfire?

Naruto found himself lingering around Hinata's often, only to realize she was hardly ever there. He found Hime patrolling more and more and she seemed to be constantly on edge. His playful flirts didn't elicit her usual reactions. She didn't brush him off as she normally did, instead she got a bit more flustered and she seemed to roll with the punches. As if she really enjoyed his remarks. It bolstered his self-esteem but it also made him wonder.

.

* * *

.

Hinata let him kiss her but it felt  _wrong_. He wasn't kissing  _Hinata_ , he was kissing the  _hero_  Hinata. Hime. Was she selfish to want him to kiss her for  _her_?

"Mm, you seem a little preoccupied, Hime," he said, hands at her waist.

Hime. Not Hinata. That's what he called her. That's who he wanted, wasn't it?

Hinata knew she was kissing Naruto, masked or not. She couldn't mistaken those blue eyes and birth marked cheeks she caught a glance of when he broke away to speak. The light shone in just a way that it created a shadow from her hood on her face, but revealed his features. But she knew for a while. She knew since Toneri couldn't control him. She knew even before that, deep inside. She  _knew_. Hiding their faces was easy but hiding their personalities? Their voices? Their way of being? She knew.

So she let him kiss her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kissing her gently, tugging at her bottom lip. "You want me to stop?"

"No," she said, brushing her thumbs against his cheeks. "No."

He breathed in deeply, taking in her scent, smelling distinctly like cinnamon. His eyes widened. Another thing that hinted towards her…towards…

"Can I see your face now, Hime?" he asked, kissing her slowly, deeply, hands moving up to cup her cheeks.

She moved her hands down to his chest, shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry."

"Okay," he whispered, gently taking hold of her hands and bringing them to his face. "Okay," he kissed each digit individually, before trailing his lips back to her face, sucking on her neck. He snaked his hand underneath her cloak, feeling past the shirt underneath, the rough skin of his palm against the soft skin of her waist. "You're warm," he said, more to himself than her.

There was a crash from nearby and a cat ran from the alley, startling them both. Suddenly they realized how exposed they were. Anyone could be watching.

Hinata swallowed. "My place- my place is near here."

She took his hand and he followed. But the pace felt too slow, agonizingly slow. He scooped her up, surprising her and she let her arms wrap around his neck securely.

"Tell me, I'll go," he said, looking straight ahead.

She took a few seconds to admire the edge of his jaw, the glint in his eyes…the lines on his cheeks before speaking. He was there in minutes and they pushed through the door, his lips catching hers on entry as she blindly struggled to lock it behind them. They made it to the couch where he gently lay her down.

"You're lucky it's dark," he said. "Or I'd be able to see you."

Suddenly it hit her. She took him to her home. She trusted him, so that wasn't the problem…but she was afraid that he wouldn't want her once he learned who she really was. She was glad she kept her house as dark as she could or else he could have easily seen the pictures hanging on the walls. She knew she had to tell him eventually. This couldn't continue like this indefinitely.

She reached up to kiss him again, running her hands down the plane of his chest, taut and hardened from the effort and strain both his day and secret night job had on him. He countered her, touch for touch, their lips danced, their fingers moved.

But they were still  _clothed_  and Naruto pressed against her, craving her touch, wanting to feel her skin and she arched up to meet him, grinding against him.

Naruto gasped. " _Hinata…_ " he groaned, moving his hips against hers.

She pulled her lips away, breathing shakily. "What?"

She felt Naruto breathing against her, catching his breath as what he said registered in his mind.

"Shit," he said, jumping back. "Shit,  _shit_." He scrambled off her and Hinata sat up. "Damn it," he mumbled to himself. "I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be doing this-"

"Wait," Hinata exclaimed, moving towards him.

"I'll see you later," he said abruptly before heading towards the door.

He was gone before she could utter another word.

It was only as he left did he finally realize the path he took…the place he went. Who's house he was really at.

.

* * *

.

His slip up made her  _happy_.

His slip up made him  _confused_.

.

* * *

.

The next day at work Hinata was acting extra weird around him.

"Hey, Hinata," he said casually as he walked into the break room.

She gasped and fumbled with the pear in her hand, turning around quickly. "Naruto, hi," she said, smiling nervously, her cheeks pink.

He stared at her curiously, a small smile on his face directed at her behavior. His eyes moved down.

"Are you wearing a scarf?" he asked.

She glanced down. "Uh, yes?"

"Why?" he questioned, stepping closer to her to her.

"I got chilly?" she said, unconvincing to even herself.

Naruto laughed. "The weather's great." He fingered the end of the red apparel pulling at it gently.

As soon as it started to slip off she grasped the end and shoot her head. "No, I'm sorry," she said, in a way that reminded him distinctly of Hime.

He let go of the piece of clothing but took yet another step closer. She pressed as far back into the counter as she could but he had her trapped.

"Hinata…" he started slowly. "Can I smell you?"

She was taken aback by that strange request. "Excuse me?"

Naruto chuckled and leaned down, his breath mingling with hers. Their eyes met, his bright blue ones with her distinct greyish purple ones. Then he shifted, taking some of her silky hair into his hands and inhaling.

"Cinnamon," he said quietly. Her face was an alarming shade of red now and she had both her hands clenched on the counter behind her, staring straight ahead, not meeting his eyes. "Hinata…"

He moved his hand to her scarf pausing to see if she would stop him but she didn't move. Slowly he unraveled it, giving her every chance to stop him. He held the fabric in his hands and stared at the skin of her neck, pale except for a few red spots, and what looked like teeth.

His breath caught in his throat and she finally looked at him, eyes searching.

"Naruto…"

"Hinata!" came a loud voice from behind them.

Immediately the two separated as Kiba came bounding in, slowing when he caught site of how flustered his partner was.

"What-" his eyes shifted to her neck and a grin split on his face. "So who was the lucky guy last night, Hinata, eh?" he asked, nudging her playfully.

Naruto's grip tightened on the scarf as he watched to two laugh together- as he listened to Kiba insinuate that Hinata was with another man last night.

Naruto dropped the scarf on the counter and left the room.

The thought of that  _burned_. He knew it was untrue but it made him angry.

He knew now though. He knew for sure. He always thought it but now he was  _sure_.

Naruto smiled.

.

* * *

.

"You avoided me all day at work," he heard a feminine voice from behind him. He heard her approach and decided to let  _her_  come to  _him_  tonight.

"I needed some time to think, Hinata," he said, turning to look at the hooded figure.

She fidgeted. "Anyone could be listening."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, pain in his voice. "Didn't you trust me?"

"Naruto, I trust you with my  _life_ ," she said, approaching him. "I was just…you seemed to like Hime so much…I didn't want to ruin your image of her by putting Hinata in her place."

Naruto was shocked. " _Ruin_  her image? Hinata, you make it  _so_ much better-"

"Well, answer me this, Naruto," Hinata said, her voice suddenly soft. "If Hime and Hinata  _were_  two different people, who would you choose?"

Naruto frowned. How could she ask him that?

She took his silence for an answer and wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. "That's what I thought…Hime. It was always Hime…"

"That's not true," Naruto said. "That's not true at all. I wouldn't have said all those things- I wouldn't have joked around with Hime like that if it wasn't  _you_  pulling the strings," he said. "And besides, I always liked Hinata anyway."

"Then why would you flirt with Hime like that?"

"She always did remind me of you," Naruto said thoughtfully.

Hinata was silent. "Secret identities stink."

Naruto chuckled and moved closer, pulling her into a hug. "Hey, Hinata?"

"Hm?"

"Why'd you never play along with Kitsune?"

Hinata sighed into his chest. "I always loved you. Naruto," she clarified.

"So when you kissed Kit?"

"I already confirmed by then that you and he were one in the same," she admitted, almost shamefully.

Naruto blushed. He was so lucky. He was so damn lucky. "I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"For any pain I may have caused you." Hinata laughed softly. "But…Hime and Hinata are one in the same as well, right?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to that Kitsune guy then," Hinata sighed, pretending to sound annoyed.

Naruto laughed, pushing her back only so he could get a good look at her face. "Yeah, you better. But I'm glad to have you, Hinata."

She smiled as she tiptoed to kiss him, shoving something into his wandering hands.

Naruto broke away and gazed at the item in his hands. "What's this?" He turned so the moonlight shined some light on the soft fabric, a beautiful red. "Your scarf?"

"It's yours." Naruto felt Hinata's hand on his back as she took the gift from his hands, cautiously wrapping it around his neck. His eyes followed her movements and he brought his hand up to touch the scarf again. "I made it for you," she explained, looking up at him nervously. "You actually don't have to wear it now," she spoke quickly. "I meant to give it to you some other time but I just-"

Naruto brought a finger up to her lips, hushing her.

"I love it," he said sincerely. "Thank you."

She gave him a tender smile that lit up his heart.

.

* * *

.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered furiously.

She stared at him, blinking once, twice, as she watched his mouth move. She cocked her head to the side and lifted off the large headphones on her ears.

"You realize I don't know what you said, right?" she asked.

Naruto groaned into his hands, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is a terrible idea. I shouldn't have told you-"

"I was the one who told  _you_  where he'd be," Hinata said. Indeed, a few days ago a stranger had walked up to her and delivered a message from Toneri. No doubt Toneri had commanded him to. He wanted to meet her. He wanted her to come with him. She was told not to cause trouble.

She agreed on that part but she had to tell Naruto. She needed him.

Naruto insisted they couldn't involve anyone else- he didn't even want  _her_ to get involved. Drowning out Toneri's voice with loud music was a good idea but even getting people to do the same thing could be hazardous. There were too many variables- too many things that could go wrong.

They didn't expect it to be easy.

But they also didn't expect him to have so much leverage.

Naruto and Hinata, dressed as their superhero counterparts, stood across from Toneri, with dozens of people in-between. Apparently, between the time of Toneri's last appearance and his sudden  _dis_ appearance the man had been training. He was sure his words would be able to reach even Naruto now.

The chaos started. Toneri ordered the innocent civilians to kill each other. Naruto and Hinata did their best to try and separate the quarreling bystanders. Everything seemed to be going okay until someone knocked off Hinata's headset. And then everything happened at once.

"STOP!"

It was Toneri. All movement came to a halt, including Naruto's.

Toneri stared at the group with narrowed eyes, not completely convinced that his abilities now worked on the hero. Naruto leveled his gaze with the other man, a frown on his face, eyebrows strung together.

"Come here, Hinata," he said calmly, all the while staring at Naruto.

"Hinata, don't!" Naruto exclaimed futilely. He watched as Hinata struggled, limbs moving awkwardly as her mind screamed at her to finish what she was told but her will resisted. But she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough.

"Aren't you going to stop her?" Toneri asked with a cock of his head. "Aren't you going to try and stop  _me_?"

"I will, you bastard," Naruto said with clenched teeth.

Hinata stopped beside the other man and he made a show of wrapping his arm around her before approaching the frozen Naruto. If looks could kill…

He stared at Naruto as he spoke the words, "Hinata, kiss me…like you mean it."

Naruto watched with wide eyes as Hinata brought a hand up to cup Toneri's cheek, the other around his neck. She closed the distance between them and Naruto felt bile rise to his throat as he watched the scene play out. Their eyes were closed as Toneri gripped her hips, lips dancing against hers. Hinata stood on tiptoes, firmly holding onto the white haired man.

Naruto wanted to look away, he wanted to  _kill_  the other man but he watched. He allowed his fury to grow. He allowed himself to succumb to his wrath. He watched as Toneri opened his eyes, all the while kissing Hinata. He watched Toneri smirk before pushing Hinata away.

He faced Naruto, an eyebrow raised. "You really can't fight my powers anymore can you?"

Naruto stood still, rage emanating off of him like heat. He only relaxed a little when his gaze turned towards Hinata, a feeling of guilt washing over him. She looked upset, undoubtedly so, arms wrapped around herself.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said to her, an ache in his chest. She just shook her head, nodding towards Toneri.

Naruto understood. It had to be done.

"Now, I will destroy the only man who could have once opposed me," Toneri said smugly.

But Toneri was  _weak_. Without his powers…without his way of manipulation he had  _nothing_.

Naruto and Hinata had come up with a phrase to say in case they thought the other was under the control of Toneri's treacherous powers. Something that they were unlikely to say before. Something they would never say to the villain.

"I love you," Naruto said.

Hinata's eyes widened, her cheeks dusted red.

But Toneri was confused.

The man didn't get a chance to speak before Naruto shot out his hands, grabbing Toneri on either side of his head. Mouth set in a grim line, he used all his strength to  _twist_. With a crack and wide eyes, Toneri crumpled to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Naruto stood towering above the other mans body for merely a second before rushing over to Hinata, gathering her into a hug, caressing her face, asking if she was alright. Apologizing over and over.

"You-you weren't under his control?" Hinata asked, taking hold of his hands in her own.

Naruto shook his head apologetically. "I had to stop him- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let him-"

Hinata stopped him with a gentle kiss on the lips, blushing furiously. "No, it's okay," she insisted. She understood. Naruto had to get Toneri close…he had to let Toneri believe he had the power. He needed Toneri to stop the civilians from fighting and he couldn't let him say anything that would hurt someone. It was the best way to avoid casualties.

"Did you mean it?" she asked quietly, picking at the fabric of his clothes, looking down bashfully. "Or were you just letting me know you weren't really under his control?"

Naruto grinned, hugging her tightly. "A little bit of both," he admitted. "But mostly the first part."

.

* * *

.

She sighed, gently dropping the unconscious man to the ground. Without even turning around she knew.

He was back.

"I can handle this one," she said smiling to herself.

He wasn't quiet, not anymore. He moved closer as she pulled the lawbreakers to the side. She lugged hard before she felt him at her back, hands sliding down her arm before taking the weight from her.

"I got you," he whispered lowly in her ear, resting his lips against her skin for the briefest second.

She laughed lightly under her breath and moved to the side, watching as he worked.

As soon as he was done, he stepped back with crossed arms. He grinned at their handiwork before his eyes shifted to hers slyly.

"What-?"

He moved quickly, hooking his hands under her, sweeping her into his arms before bounding to the roods.

"Naru-"

"I want some time alone with you," he said cheekily.

"But we're on duty!"

"We're  _always_  on duty," Naruto snorted.

Hinata smiled softly. "What if someone's in trouble?"

"Someone's-"

"-Always in trouble," Hinata said with a giggle. "I know."

Naruto was silent for a little while, the only sound the wind blowing against them as they approached Hinata's apartment.

"Hinata?"

"Hm?"

"I would save you over the world, ya know."

It was a statement. The severity of it put a pleasant weight on Hinata's heart.

"Naruto…"

"I would," he said, not making eye contact with her- as if ashamed. "And it  _scares_  me."

Hinata didn't say it but she was pretty sure she felt the same way. But they were  _superheroes_. It was their job to save the innocent.

Hinata brought her hand up to gently run her fingers against his cheeks.

"Let's go home," she whispered.

And they did.

Still…it was a serious thing for people who did what they did to say they would pick each other over the world.

It was a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the mind controlling idea from the show Jessica Jones. But I had also seen a post by l3nsman regarding the time she was under Toneri's control and I figured that would be a good power to give him, close to "canon" in sorts. To make Hinata his puppet. I was also influenced by the Miraculous Ladybug (which I never watched- only saw gifs of it here and there) to make something of a love triangle/square.
> 
> So I had this fic tucked away for a while and I'm not a huge fan of it actually. I really like the superhero AU idea and maybe I'll be back with it with a whole different take.


	16. One-Shot 12: Hogwarts AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going to a school of magic only means the growing witches and wizards face the same trouble as growing muggles plus more. They will learn a lot more than magic at this school. They'll learn to love.

_**Year One** _

.

 _I'm going to let them down,_  she thought.  _I'm going to let them down_.

Hinata's little heart was beating fast under her dark robes as she streamed down large hallways, surrounded by chattering boys and girls of her age.

"How do you think we're going to be sorted?" she heard someone ask.

"My older brother told me we have to fight a  _dementor_!" she heard another one reply.

The chattering got louder, whispers were fierce as her fellow first years fluttered about, hearts racing at the thought.

"A dementor?" someone else asked, sounding scared. "They wouldn't!"

No, they wouldn't. Hinata knew. She was a pureblood from a long line of powerful witches and wizards. She was trained to do her best, to  _be_  the best. But she just wanted to learn more about magic, maybe play a little quidditch, and make a few friends. Her family wanted her to be  _great_. To make history.

Hinata just wanted to make it through her first day.

Suddenly the wave stopped in front of large, gilded doors. Everyone went quiet.

They waited.

And waited.

They started to grow restless, the swoosh of their robes against the floor sounded, as whispers made its way through the crowd like a breeze.

"Hey! What's the hold up!" a loud voice sounded and Hinata turned to look at the perpetrator, as did the rest of the crowd. A short kid with bright blond hair stood at the front of the crowd, facing the door. His black robes looked wrinkled and a little washed out but his face was bright, his eyes sparkling. Hinata watched him roll up his sleeves and march towards the door, mumbling under his breath. Just as he was going to raise his fist it swung open and a man with a large hat covering his white hair, half his face concealed, walked into the hallway.

He stopped in front of the kid, the one visible eye half open lazily and sighed.

"Here we go again."

The children around Hinata stood still, eyes wide open, almost holding their breath.

The white haired man stared back at them. "Well, come on," he said, gesturing them forward into the great hall, lined with four long tables and another one on a slightly raised platform. The first years around her gazed in awe at the floating candles, others huddled closer to each other as the chatter in the great hall died and the older students seated at their respective tables watched the stream of fresh meat enter the room.

Hinata stared at the black hat on a stool that they approached steadily. The brim opened, as if it were torn, and it spoke.

This was it.

.

* * *

.

Hinata grabbed her plate of food and headed towards a table filled with people decorated in yellow.

"Hi, Shino," she said with a smile, sitting down beside her friend. "Pass me some orange juice, will you?"

"Of course," he said, reaching over to grab the jug. "You have class in thirty minutes."

Hinata laughed lightly. Even though they were in different houses, he in Hufflepuff, she in Gryffindor, he was kind enough to know her schedule. Hinata was about to pour herself a glass of juice when someone slammed two hands on the table in front of her.

"Wait," Kiba said, flashing his teeth at her. "Let me get that for you."

Hinata froze, looking at him confusedly. She placed the jug down and gestured at him to continue.

Kiba whipped out his wand, and with a swish and flick, muttering the words, "Wingardium leviosa," under his breath he tried to lift the pitcher of orange juice in the air. Hinata leaned back, nervous for the outcome. She watched with wide eyes as Kiba twisted his wrist, the orange juice precariously tilting to the side.

"Kiba…" she said slowly, holding her breath.

"Don't worry, I got this," Kiba muttered, staring intently at the hovering breakfast item.

And for a while it did indeed look like he would succeed.

Until something went wrong and the jug crashed to the table, splashing cold orange juice all over the front of Hinata's outfit.

"Oh my god," Kiba gasped, jumping over to her side of the table. He apologized profusely as Shino grabbed a coupe of napkins for her to try and dry herself off.

"I'll go back to the Gryffindor tower and get you some spare ties," Kiba continued, staring at her apologetically.

"It's alright," Hinata said, dabbing at what was once her once white button down.

There was a sound of tinkling laughter coming from behind them and Hinata turned just as her pink haired friend moved away from her seat at the Ravenclaw table to sit beside her.

"Do you need some help?" Sakura asked, laughing.

Hinata let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, please."

With grace, Sakura brought her wand out of her pocket and with a few waves and whispered words under her breath she pulled out the juice that Hinata thought would be permanently stained on her shirt.

"Thank you so much," Hinata said sincerely. "I owe you one."

"Just play some quidditch with me later," Sakura said, stowing away her wand. "I hear you're a natural."

Hinata shook her head humbly. "Oh no, I'm just-"

"Sakura!" a loud voice came from the large doors leading to the great hall. They all watched as Naruto bounded over, his unruly red tie flying behind him. He skidded to a halt, knocking over a few empty goblets as he slammed down his notebook on the table. "Sakura, tell me you did the potions homework," Naruto gasped, breathing heavily.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the boy and crossed her arms across her chest. "I did."

Naruto let out a relieved sigh, taking a seat across from Hinata. "Thank  _god_ -"

"Don't thank  _anyone_ , Naruto," Sakura said curtly. "I'm not giving it to you."

"But-"

"This is the third time!"

"I'm  _sorry_ ," Naruto exclaimed, looking at her with sad eyes. "I didn't have time-"

"Because you were sneaking out to ride  _broomsticks_ ," Sakura hissed under her breath, stowing her stuff into her bag. "Now, before you get me into trouble, I'm off to class."

Hinata watched Naruto groan into his hands and slump down so his chin touched the table. He picked at a piece of bread, flicking the crumbs away.

She fidgeted.

Kiba watched her, his eyes moving from her to the blond blunder.

"You know, Naruto…" Kiba started, his voice sly. Hinata cringed. She knew he was up to something. She watched Naruto look up lazily at his fellow Gryffindor. When his voice went like that- " _Hinata_ 's surprisingly good at potions."

Naruto's face lit up and he smiled broadly at the dark haired girl in front of him. _"Seriously_?" he exclaimed. "I  _suck_  at potions. Requires too many precise measurements," he shivered. He blinked at her, eyes sparkling. "Would you mind helping me? I promise I won't copy I just need some help."

Hinata swallowed, feeling her face heat up. She was always so bad at talking to him. She didn't know why. Ever since the sorting ceremony…Naruto was called to try on the hat and some rude Slytherins made comments about his raggedy clothes and Naruto proudly stood up for himself. And later when a couple of fellow first years were being bullied he did his best to help, getting hexed in the process. Luckily the nurse was able to easily remove the warts that formed on his face.

Hinata didn't know. She just admired him for his bravery and his perseverance.

Everyone knew she was a pureblood. Hard to hide because of her characteristic eyes and, of course, her last name.

But Naruto? Naruto didn't even know himself. He got his letter when he was eleven, thought it was a prank but happily learned it wasn't.

Hinata felt a soft nudge from her side as Shino brought her out of her reverie.

"Oh, uh, of course," she said softly, rummaging in her bag for her potions notebook. "Of course, I'm glad to help."

Naruto let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Hinata, knew I could count on you."

.

* * *

.

Their first year, Naruto learned Hinata was an unquestionably nice person and Hinata started to believe Naruto was admirably unfaltering.

.

* * *

.

_**Year Two** _

.

Naruto ran across the grassy fields, waving to a couple of his Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw friends. He saw a familiar black haired kid wearing signature Slytherin green and holding a broom.

"Where you running to?" Sasuke asked as Naruto breezed by him.

Naruto waved him off. "Hang with you later," he shouted. It was odd to a lot of their classmates seeing a Gryffindor and Slytherin spending time together. They had an odd relationship. There was this rivalry between them and, surprisingly, Sakura was the one that was able to keep them from ripping each others heads off from time to time.

"Looking for-" Naruto stopped as he saw Kiba running towards him.

"Did you find her?" Kiba asked, bending over and holding onto his side. He was breathing heavily. "I checked the tower and the Great Hall," he said between gasping breaths. "Ran all through the halls. Shino checked the library, the dungeons near the potions classroom-"

Narutos eyes shifted somewhere past Kiba's shoulder towards the…

"Greenhouse…" Naruto mumbled to himself.

"What?"

But Naruto was already off, dashing towards the greenery. "Go on to the field, I'll bring her!" Naruto shouted back, swerving around other students, apologizing as he went. He burst into the greenhouse, startling the only other habitant.

"Naruto!" Hinata gasped, holding on tightly to the vase in her hands. "You almost made me drop this."

"Hinata, do you have your broom?" Naruto asked rapidly, ignoring her look of surprise.

"Up in the tower," she said, watching him carefully. "Why?"

"Quidditch tryouts," Naruto exclaimed. "Quidditch tryouts!"

Hinata's mouth fell open. " _Today_?"

Naruto nodded quickly, taking the plant from her hand and placing it gently on the table. So gently, and so very unlike Naruto. It was a small thing but Hinata took it in. Normally, clumsy Naruto would be knocking over things at the Gryffindor dining table, his homework would be in wrinkles, but when it came to plants…she noticed how softly he cared for the florae during herbology (when the plants weren't trying to maim or kill him).

"Yeah, they moved it up," Naruto said. "Now come on!" He took hold of her hand and pulled her out of the room, towards the quidditch pitch.

"But, Naruto!" Hinata said, her face going red. "I can't- I'm not-"

"You have to try!" Naruto said, almost stumbling. "I saw you on your broomstick with Kiba and Shino a few weeks back." Naruto slowed down to a quick pace, laughing. "Just…wow. I didn't know how good you were."

Hinata blushed. "I'm really not…"

"You  _are_."

Hinata was silent for a moment. "What about  _you_ ," she plucked up the courage to say.

"What about me?" Naruto snorted. "I never touched a broom before all this."

"And you're a natural," Hinata said in awe.

Naruto laughed. "Hardly. Remember last year, how Sakura always hissed at me about stealing a broom and practicing in the night?"

Hinata nodded.

"I really liked the sport," he admitted. "And I wanted to be my best at it."

Hinata smiled, a smile that didn't go unnoticed by her friend. This is another thing she liked about him. He never gave up.

"Here's your chance to do something more," she said as they approached the pitch. Hinata stopped. "I forgot my broomstick."

"What?"

Hinata groaned into her hands, hiding her embarrassed face. Even after he  _told_  her. "I forgot my broomstick."

"Ah, crap," Naruto said, running his fingers through his hair. "I forgot to remind you again," he said. He looked at her slumped figure and immediately felt bad. "Hey, no worries. You can borrow mine. It's used and run down…but it should do the job I think."

Hinata looked at him, her head tilted to the side. That was so nice of him. "I'm not letting you lose your chance," she said, waving him towards the field. "You go on, I'll be right back."

"Hinata-"

"Don't worry about me," she insisted, smiling gently. Just as she was about to turn and go she heard Kiba calling out to her.

"Hinata!"

Her toothy friend made his way towards them, almost tripping over the two broomsticks in his hand.

Wait a second… _two_?

"My broomstick!" Hinata gasped, lurching forward to hug her friend. "Oh, Kiba!"

"Don't thank me yet, Hinata," Kiba grinned, shoving her new broomstick into her hands. "Thank Naruto for figuring this out."

Naruto just grinned and slapped them both on the back. "C'mon, we have tryouts!"

.

* * *

.

"I can't  _believe_  I didn't make it," Kiba sulked, sitting down with a sigh at the Gryffindor long table.

"You don't know that," Hinata said, patting him on the back.

" _I_  was supposed to hit the bludgers, not the other way around, Hinata!" Kiba said, dropping his face to the table. "I think I might have broke something."Hinata giggled and grabbed a plate full of chicken, setting it beside her friend. Soon the smell of it wafted towards his nose and he perked up. "Always next year, right?" he said, suddenly optimistic. "After all, we are only second years."

"I MADE IT!"

Naruto came running into the hall, covered in mud splatters, nose bleeding, and dark bruises forming on his face.

But a large smile brightened his face.

"What?" Kiba asked, mouth hanging open with little, half chewed chicken bits precariously at the edge.

"I made the team!" Naruto said breathlessly, looking happier than they'd ever seen him.

The weight of his words hit Hinata first. "Congratulations, Naruto!" she said sincerely. He certainly deserved it.

Naruto surged forward and pulled Hinata into a tight hug. "I did it! I did it!"

Hinata felt herself heating up awfully fast and she heard Kiba mutter a quiet, "Uh oh," under his breath before all went black.

.

* * *

.

It just so happens that Hinata also made the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

She would be playing seeker.

The old seeker graduated the prior year and out of all the people who applied, she was surprisingly the most qualified. Small, quick, amazing hand eye coordination. Rumors spread that her funny looking Hyuga eyes had a lot to do with it.

Sometimes the whispers were mean and vicious.

Kiba ended up with a black eye trying to shut the mouths of a couple sixth years after he heard them mocking Hinata. He refused to tell Hinata the reason he was in the hospital wing, knowing full well she wouldn't approve of his behavior.

"Shino," she pleaded with innocent looking eyes as they left Kiba alone.

Shino turned his head away but he could practically  _feel_  her sadness radiating from her. As stoic and emotionless as people believe him to be, this Hufflepuff crumbled under the gaze of his favorite Hyuga.

"He  _what_?" Hinata gasped, stopping on the moving stairs after Shino told her the reason Kiba was bedbound.

"Hinata-"

She turned on the spot, her short hair bouncing at her neck as she ran back to where she last saw Kiba.

Shino sighed.

He heard footsteps behind him.

"What's up with Hinata?"

Shino turned and watched Naruto hold an ice pop at his mouth, curiously watching Hinata run from them.

Shino contemplated whether it was worth it to waste precious seconds explaining what happened to Naruto. He remembered how flustered his friend got around this blond kid and came to a conclusion. His waste of time was definitely worth it if it helped Hinata in the end.

"They  _what_?" Naruto exclaimed, looking angry. "They-Hinata would-Hinata could-"

Shino had enough.

He left the spluttering Naruto on the stairs and made his way to the basement, determined to get some rest in the Hufflepuff common room. If Ino or Choji tried to talk to him…

Shino sighed.

.

* * *

.

"Hinata!"

The Hyuga looked up from the plate of uneaten food she picked at solemnly since she had her talk with Kiba, who had tried to protect her honor and all.

"Lee?" she said, confused that a Hufflepuff, same year as her older cousin, was coming to speak with her.

He stopped in front of her, not even breathless. "I think you should check out what is happening outside," he said elusively.

"I'm sorry…?"

"It's that blond kid from your year-"

Hinata furrowed her brows.  _Naruto_? What was going  _on_  today. She thanked the older boy quickly and rushed outside, pulling on her robes as she went.

She didn't slow down when she saw Naruto surrounded by several older Slytherins towering over him, holding what looking like his wand.

Hinata didn't falter. Her friend was in trouble.

Hinata, normally quiet and hardly willing to hurt something, called out, "Leave him alone!"

The Slytherins stopped just for a second to look up, before bursting out into laughter.

Naruto took that opportunity, that chink in their armor, to use his brute strength, even though he was probably shorter than them by a whole head, to push one to the ground. He pulled his hand back into a fist and punched one in the face, right in the nose.

The green clad friends let out angry yells before pulling out their wands but Hinata was quick.

She was trained.

From a very young age her family would hand her books, teach her hand waving techniques, and even words to make sure she was on top of things. Even though she wasn't allowed to use a wand or even magic at that age, she knew.

"Expelliarmus!"

One of their wands flew from the older boys hand and the others followed it with their eyes. Silly mistake, Hinata thought.

With a couple more calculated moves of her wrist and whispered spells under her breath all the Slytherins were either unarmed, paralyzed stiff, or had their boogers flying out like bats. The last one lay groaning on the ground, his nose broken by Naruto's now bruised fist.

Naruto pushed himself off the guy and stared at Hinata with raised eyebrows.

"Wow."

"Are you okay?" she asked frantically, the adrenaline pumping through her not even allowing her to be embarrassed as she looked at him for injuries.

"I'm fine. I'm great," he said, brushing away her worries. "But  _you_? Wow! That was amazing! How did you-"

" _What_  happened  _here_?" a surprisingly shrill voice sounded as Professor Iruka came bounding down to the area, his black robes flapping behind him like wings, face contorted in worried. His eyes moved from the down Slytherins to the two second years looking at him petrified, but eyes filled with surprised glee. "Did you two-"

"I did it," Naruto said quickly, stepping in front of Hinata. "I did it. Hinata shouldn't get into trouble. I started the fight. I went up to them because they said mean stuff about her and I couldn't just-"

Iruka held up a finger and stared at Hinata. "Is this true?"

She froze, wand clasped tightly in her hands. There was no way…Naruto wasn't even  _holding_  his wand. "I-I…I'm sorry," she whispered, looking downtrodden.

Irukua sighed and shook his head. "I'm disappointed in both of you. Ten points from Gryffindor-"

"But-" Naruto exclaimed angrily.

" _Each_ ," Iruka said sternly.

Naruto groaned. He promised himself this year he would try to  _gain_  more points for his house than lose them. He glanced over at Hinata who looked just about ready to burst out into tears. Surely,  _she_ never,  _ever_  lost points. Naruto was going to say something to comfort her but Iruka pushed them towards the castle.

"Now leave before I change my mind and take  _more_ ," he said. Naruto grumbled under his breath and Hinata just nodded mutely but as they left Iruka bent and whispered in Hinata's ears. "Amazing job with those spells," he said, eyes twinkling. "I'll have to tell Headmaster Tsunade about those skills."

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise and Naruto laughed at her expression, proud of what she did.

.

* * *

.

Their second year Hinata and Naruto learned they would have each others backs.

.

* * *

.

_**Year Three** _

.

"Which elective did you sign up for, Hinata?" Shino asked as the three friends sat down for lunch.

Hinata pulled out her schedule for the new year and pointed at one of her morning classes. "Care of Magical Creatures and-"

"Me too!" Kiba exclaimed, rummaging in his back. He pulled out a wrinkled and torn piece of paper and unfolded it to show her their same class.

Hinata giggled. "Only the first day, Kiba, and your schedule looks like it was trampled."

Kiba just grinned.

"You are acting as though you and Hinata don't share similar classes," Shino said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You both are from the same house-"

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba said, waving him off. "What about  _you_  Shino. Are we sharing some classes?"

They continued to discuss their new classes for the year, Kiba excited to learn about more creatures, Hinata anxious to mix some potions, and Shino just happy to be back.

"We also get to go to Hogsmeade this year!" Kiba said excitedly. "I want to visit Zonko's joke shop," he said with a wink, thinking about all the mischief he could pull.

As Kiba and Shino discussed what they should do Hinata took some time to look around at the different tables, in search of familiar faces. She waved at Ino and Choji at the other end of the Hufflepuff long table and smiled at Shikamaru as he joined them from Ravenclaw. She saw Tenten and Lee shift from the Hufflepuff table to join her cousin Neji at Ravenclaw. He gave her a pleasant nod when their eyes met. Sometimes she wondered how she ended up in Gryffindor. Surely she belonged in Hufflepuff.

One time, near the end of their second year, she voiced her concern to Kiba while sitting around the common room fireplace and it was, surprisingly, Naruto who comforted her.

 _"What are you talking about, Hinata?"_ she remembered him say.  _"So what if you're shy. You're still brave and courageous. You have traits of chivalry. And besides, the sorting hat knows what it's doing. You belong here."_

"Hey, Hinata," Kiba's voice cut through her memories. "Why're you so pink right now?"

His words caused her to grow even redder. "No reason," she said quickly.

Kiba smirked. "You're thinking of him again, aren't you," he said slyly.

"No!" she said, shaking her head, her hair, now slightly past her shoulders, moved side to side. "I'm just…"

"You are!" Kiba laughed.

"Kiba," Shino said, warning in his tone. His head moved towards the back of the room, towards the Slytherin table.

Hinata turned in her seat, eyes moving down the line of students seated at the table. She locked eyes, for a brief second, with who she assumed was an older student with white hair and bright blue eyes. Moving on she stopped to see the boy in question leaning over to table to speak with Sakura, who sat besides the gloomy looking Sasuke. She sighed dramatically and was looking at Naruto with exasperation.

"C'mon, Sakura," Naruto was saying. "Come with me to Hogsmeade."

Hinata turned back to her seat, shoulders slumped, and picked at the grapes in front of her.

"Hinata…" Kiba started, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm okay," Hinata said, not meeting his gaze. She could feel her friend's sympathetic stares. "Really, it's fine," she said, feigning a smile.

Kiba sighed. "You know, Sakura won't even say yes. She's too head over heals for that Sasuke kid. Don't know why-"

"Maybe his skills in the Defense Against the Dark Arts," Shino said, trying to change the subject. "Hufflepuff and Slytherin were in the same period last year."

"Hinata's pretty good too," Kiba said, patting her on the back. "Now that I think about it, Hinata, you're oddly good at all these things…"

Hinata laughed warily. "I'm not."

Kiba rolled his eyes, snickering.

"Really," she insisted.

"You destroy me every time we play Wizards Chess," Kiba stated, as if that proved everything.

Hinata laughed. "That doesn't mean a thing!"

Their laughter echoed through the room, mixed with the chitter chatter of the rest of the students welcoming and greeting their friends.

.

* * *

.

"It's  _so_  cold," Kiba complained, his eyes barely peaking out from under his bundle of scarves.

"Did you expect it to be hot?" Shino asked, as the three trudged through the snow on their way to Hogsmeade, several weeks later.

"Obviously not," Kiba snorted. "Just not  _this_  cold."

They walked in silence for a while. Hinata stared up at the gently falling snow, the flakes melting soothingly on her face.

"Also…" Kiba whispered. "I found a dog."

Hinata and Shino both whipped their head towards their friend.

"I'm sorry?" Hinata asked.

"A dog," Kiba repeated, moving the scarves out of the way. Out popped a little, white, furry dog. "I call him Akamaru."

Hinata gasped. " _Kiba_ -"

"No, his name is Akamaru," her friend joked.

Hinata let out a short laugh but shook her head. "I don't think your dog-"

"-Akamaru-"

Hinata heard Shino sigh beside him.

Kiba stopped walking, and his two friends surrounded him, looking closely at the dog, which stared back at them in interest.

"Kiba, I don't know…" Hinata started.

"Aw, c'mon, look at him," Kiba insisted, pushing his chest out towards her, bringing the puppy close to her face. Almost immediately, Akamaru stuck out his tongue to give Hinata a quick lick on the nose.

Hinata blinked in surprise, her nose warming up immediately. "Well…"

Kiba grinned. He knew he won.

"Hinata," Shino warned.

"Shino, look," Kiba said quickly, pushing his puppy towards the normally quiet young man.

In seconds even Shino was taken down by the little bundle of fur.

"Damn it," Shino mumbled to himself.

"You have to be careful," Hinata whispered. "You could get into so much trouble."

"Oh please," Kiba laughed. "Didn't you hear about those kids years ago making polyjuice potion in the girls lavatory? Or, I don't know, some  _three_  headed dog hidden somewhere in the castle at one point?"

Hinata and Shino stared at their friend with blank eyes.

"Fine,  _fine_ ," Kiba relented. "I'll do my best."

"Do your best at what?" a familiar voice sounded from behind them.

Immediately Kiba yanked up his scarves and Hinata and Shino stood shoulder to shoulder (the best they could, considering their height difference) to block him from view.

Naruto walked over to them, followed by his friends Sasuke and Sakura. He grinned and waved. "What are you guys doing in the middle of the road?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be rushing to Hogsmeade to get into some warm building? Grab some butterbeer or something?"

"Oh, we are," Hinata said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

"What do you guys got there?" Sakura asked, trying to peek over their shoulders.

"Nothing!" the three said at the same time. Hinata cringed at how suspicious it sounded.

"Nothing, eh?" Naruto asked, his eyes roving from Kiba to Shino and finally stopping on Hinata. "Hinata, you'd tell me right?"

Hinata felt her mouth go dry and she looked at the ground, nudging the snow with her boots. She felt her cheeks go warm, sure she would be able to melt ice with the heat from her face.

"Don't you guys have some place to be?" Kiba interjected, saving Hinata.

The Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw didn't look all that convinced at their answer of 'nothing,' but simply nodded.

"Well,  _okay_ ," Naruto said slowly, his eyes still on Hinata who dared not meet his own. "I'll see you guys around there, right?"

Kiba and Shino watched as the blond continued to look at their female companion with curiosity.

"Yes, of course," Shino spoke on their behalf. "Later."

Understanding the dismissal the other three headed off, talking to themselves about how weird their friends were.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and mumbled a quiet thank you.

"Don't thank me," Kiba said with a hesitant chuckle. "I'll need your guys help taking care of this little guy."

Hinata and Shino were about to protest but stopped as soon as Kiba pulled out the little puppy again.

He was just so damn cute.

.

* * *

.

Their third year Hinata learned that the bond with her friends grew stronger and Naruto wondered why Hinata felt so distant and why it effected him so.

.

* * *

.

_**Year Four** _

.

Naruto was sitting by the Gryffindor common room fireplace, struggling with his boring History of Magic homework when Kiba ran down from the boys dormitory, breathing heavily. Naruto was waving his wand around lazily, playing with his pencil as he watched the fanged, brown haired, man look at him with panicked eyes.

"You seen Hinata?" he asked, eyes darting rapidly around the room.

Naruto shook his head warily. "Why, what's up?" Kiba fidgeted a little as if contemplating something. "Is she okay?"

It seemed like Kiba had forgotten Naruto was even there, his eyes still roaming around the room, as if searching for something.

"Kiba," Naruto repeated.

"What?" Kiba asked, crouching down and looking under a couch.

"Is she okay?"

"Is who okay?" Kiba asked, getting back up and pacing around the room.

" _Hinata_ ," Naruto exclaimed, sitting up straighter, arms spread out as if to say,  _duh_.

"Oh," Kiba said. "OH! Thanks, Naruto!"

Naruto stared at his crazy friend in confusion and watched as Kiba darted towards the stairs leading towards the girls dormitory right before the steps seemed to merge into one, creating a smooth surface that Kiba immediately followed down, landing on his ass.

"What the fu-"

A few older Gryffindor girls slid down the slide, giggling.

"Who were you going to see, huh?" one of the girls asked with a wink.

Naruto frowned, watching Kiba get up.

"Why can't I get up there," he asked. "I used to be able to-"

The girls continued giggling and Naruto slumped down into his armchair, their laughter starting to annoy him. For some reason the thought of Kiba lingering around upstairs with Hinata bothered him. He flicked his wand a bit too hard, sending the pencil he was levitating through the open window.

"Ah shit," he muttered to himself, making his way to look where it landed. Just as he reached the window he heard Kiba speak.

"Hinata!" he exclaimed, watching as Hinata slid down the molded staircase. Naruto turned, his eyes following the way her dark, almost blue, hair flowed behind her. It was longer now, he noticed.

Hinata got to her feet gracefully, noticing the bedraggled look on Kiba's face. "Did you try to come upstairs?"

"Yeah, but forget about that," Kiba said quickly, moving up closer to her. He leaned by her ear, whispering something Naruto couldn't make out and he watched as Hinata let out a light laugh before whisper a reply into Kiba's ear. Kiba let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you," he repeated over and over. "I was so scared I lost him-"

He stopped himself abruptly, looking around the room, now empty suffice them three.

Naruto met their eyes and held up his hand in greeting.

"Hey."

Hinata and Kiba waved back, smiling warily, making their way slowly towards the portrait covered hole.

"Sorry to bother you while studying," Hinata apologized as they left.

Naruto shook his head. "Oh, no worries, I wasn't going to get anything done anyway."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Naruto cleared his throat, his robes suddenly feeling really heavy and extra run down, his tie too tight. "Yeah…well, Hinata, if you ever, you know, want to do some homework or something with me-"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Hinata said quickly, before her face heated up.

Kiba snickered beside her.

Naruto frowned at the brown haired boy. "Oh yeah, we have Quidditch practice tonight too right?" he asked Hinata. She nodded, smiling pleasantly. "See you there?"

"Of course," she said, waving to him once more.

Naruto watched the two leave, chatting about meeting up with Shino and he suddenly felt really alone.

.

* * *

.

Naruto was changing into his Quidditch gear when Kiba walked in, holding a broomstick.

Taken aback, Naruto spoke. "What are you doing here?"

Kiba grinned broadly. "I made it to the team!" he announced. "Beater, just like you."

"Oh," Naruto said. He knew he should be feeling excited for his friend but for some reason he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way. "That's great."

Kiba stared at Naruto curiously. "What's wrong?"

Naruto looked back at his shoes, tying them securely. "Nothing, nothing. I just didn't realize the other beater graduated already."

Kiba slapped Naruto on the back, grinning broadly. "Don't worry, I won't let you guys down."

The two walked towards the Quidditch pitch together, stopping to watch the rest of the team warm up. Naruto's eyes searched for Hinata's familiar dark hair, watching as she did laps around the field, hair streaming behind her. She did a few graceful flips and spins, great to use if someone had sent a Bludger in her direction. She was quick and she flattened herself against the broomstick, a look of determination on her face as she did her best to make it across the field as fast as she could.

She faltered only when she noticed her friends on the field, slowing down and giving them a quick wave, her smiling lighting up her face.

"Ready to get into it?" Kiba asked, jogging ahead.

Naruto nodded dumbly, eyes still trained on Hinata.

.

* * *

.

"Hinata!" Ino shrieked from the end of the hall, waving her towards her. Her yellow scarf bounced as she excitedly gestured her forward, pointing towards the large bulletin board.

Hinata approached curiously, slipping her Charms notebook into her bag.

"A  _ball_ ," Ino gasped, giggling to herself. "A dance! We're having a ball!"

Hinata looked at the poster, head cocked to the side. "That's nice," she said sincerely, not knowing what to say.

Ino stopped her happy hopping, looking put out. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "I thought you'd be happier," she said with a pout. "This is your chance to go on a date or something with Naruto."

Hinata's eyes widened, her face going pink. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Ino snickered. "Oh please, everyone except the idiot himself can tell."

Hinata cringed, covered her face with her hands. "I don't know how…I don't know why-"

Ino laughed, placing a gentle hand on her back, rubbing smooth circles. "We don't know why either, to be honest," she joked.

"Ino…" Hinata said, looking downtrodden.

"Oh, cheer up," her platinum haired friend insisted. "This is a  _good_  thing. It's only for fourth years and up. Everyone's going to be scrambling for dates. It'll work out."

Hinata bit her lip nervously, not too sure about that.

.

* * *

.

"Why don't you just  _ask_  her?" Sakura said, waving her wand to pick up some snow off the ground. She was tired of seeing her strange, whisker birth marked friend moping around the past few weeks. There was a time during Defense Against the Dark Arts that Naruto was paired with Hinata and he hardly lifted a finger against her. She remembered hearing a bang and a crash and turned just in time to see Naruto sprawled on the floor, Hinata apologizing profusely. He was supposed to have guarded himself from the oncoming attack but Sakura was pretty sure he was mesmerized by the other woman.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, molding a large pile of snow with his wand.

" _Hinata_ ," Sakura said, gently placing her newly formed snowball in a pile sitting next to Sasuke. She giggled at the sour look on his face. He didn't even want to come outside but the two friends had insisted. It was the first snow of the year and it had packed on high.

Naruto had flinched at her word, accidentally slicing off a large chunk from his sculpture. He cursed, levitating it back up, giving Sakura a dirty look.

"I'll say it again," he said, patting the snow as he decided on what to do next. "What  _are_  you talking about?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes, whipping her wand towards him, sending a snowball straight to the back of his head. "Don't be stupid, Naruto!"

"Sakura, what the hell!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing his wand at her, a wave of snow heading in her direction.

He watched Sakura's eyes widen, feeling a sense of satisfaction before Sasuke leapt to his feet, forming a quick barrier around the two.

"You both are ridiculous," Sasuke said, stowing his wand into his pockets. "I'm heading back inside. It's cold."

Naruto and Sakura watched the black haired young man leave before looking at each other slyly. The lifted their wands in unison, snowballs following in suit.

"Oh, Sasuke…" they said slowly, grinning evilly before bombarding their friend with countless snowballs.

.

* * *

.

Naruto slurped up his noodles sloppily as Sakura watched him with disgusted interest. He was seated at the Ravenclaw table. Sasuke was busy doing some homework for Transfiguration or something. He watched him work with a white haired Slytherin whose name he didn't know for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to fall on the pink haired girl before him.

"So did he ask you yet?" Naruto asked, taking a break from his food.

Sakura stared at him, her eyebrows scrunched together, mouth set in a thin line. Naruto blinked back. With a defeated sigh, she shook her head.

"No… and I don't think he will."

Naruto frowned at her depressed state. "Well, he's an idiot then." Sakura laughed softly, shrugging her shoulders. Sasuke wasn't obliged to do anything. "But I also think he wants to go with you too," Naruto finished, filling his goblet with water using a quick spell. "So maybe  _you_  should ask  _him_."

Sakura looked up at him with a mixture of suspicion and excitement. "What makes you say that?"

Naruto shrugged. "I just know these things," he said smugly.

Sakura snorted. "You're denser than anyone I know."

Naruto pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sakura rolled her eyes before perking up and waving at someone behind him. "Hi, Hinata!"

Naruto turned swiftly in his seat, eyes searching. "Where?"

Sakura burst out into laughter and it was then that Naruto realized he was being duped. He picked up a warm roll and tossed it at his friend. "Jerk."

.

* * *

.

It seemed the winter snow had reached its all time peak and Naruto was spending it inside the greenhouse caring for some of the plants. He did this often, finding Hinata there during their first year at Hogwarts. They ended up accidentally meeting here often, their love for gardening unexplainable.

Naruto finished watering some of the safer plants and turned to watch Hinata go about her business. She touched the leaves gently, making sure there was nothing odd growing on them. The blond young man felt his heart beating fast and, honestly, he didn't know why.

He  _did_  know that the ball was only a few days away and he had no date.

Sakura had plucked up the courage and asked Sasuke who, fortunately, said yes. He knew Ino was going out with this quiet exchange Hufflepuff kid who drew a lot. Shikamaru was going with some girl from another school apparently.

And Hinata…?

Well, Naruto wasn't known for tiptoeing through anything.

"Hinata-will-you-go-to-the-ball-with-me?" he rambled off quickly, standing up straighter, feeling his face go red.

Apparently his declaration was surprising, cutting through the silence, because once again Hinata fumbled with something in her hand. She placed it gently on the table before turning around to face him, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry could you repeat that?" she asked. He had spoken too quickly (and a little bit shrilly) for her to understand him.

Naruto clenched his fist and loosened it, taking a deep breath.  _He could do this_.

"Hinata," he started again. "Will you go to the ball with me?"

There was silence in the greenhouse. His eyes followed the red starting from her neck, sneaking it's way up her face. Her beautiful pale eyes wide, her mouth hanging open a little.

"Naruto…I…" she bit her lip nervously, fidgeting on her feet. She swallowed, her throat feeling awfully dry. Her fingers played with the front of her robe, bunching it and letting go.

Naruto felt the tips of his own ears go red and he scratched the back of his head nervously, laughing lightly. "Ah, it's okay, you don't have to-"

"Oh, no, Naruto, I would really like to-" Naruto's face lit up. "-but-" And a frown took over. "But…someone already asked me," she said the last part quietly, watching his expression change from glee to dismay.

"Oh," he said, clearing his throat. He chuckled nervously. "Well…it's okay. That's fine! Yup, no worries."

"Naruto…"

Naruto waved his hand, grinning broadly, but his smile wouldn't reach his eyes. "It's great that someone asked you! I'm sure you'll have a great time." He made his way to the greenhouse door, hand around the frigid knob. "I'll see you around, right?"

He was already out the door before he could hear her quiet reply. "Right…"

Naruto trudged through the snow, hands stuffed deep into his robe pockets, face buried into his red and gold scarf. The snow was falling hard, biting against his face.

And his heart was  _freezing_.

.

* * *

.

Naruto sat at a table, his leg shaking incessantly as music played loudly in the transformed Great Hall. He watched people dance with their partners, some wearing beautiful dresses and others nicely pressed suits or robes.

"Sasuke,  _please_ ," he heard Sakura over the music, begging the dark haired wizard to join her on the dance floor. He was resolute for a quite a while and by this point Naruto was getting tired of Sakura's wails and Sasukes grunting no's.

"Jeez, Sasuke, just go dance with her. She's not asking for your hand in  _marriage_ ," Naruto exclaimed.

Both of his friends were silent. Sasuke raised one eyebrow. "Someone's grumpy."

"Yeah, because he didn't ask Hinata to the ball," Sakura teased, poking Naruto's shoulder.

Oh, right. Naruto didn't tell them about his attempt in the greenhouse. He was crushed. He didn't really care if they knew or anything but he just didn't want to relive it.

"Oh, come on, Naruto," Sakura said, patting him on the shoulder. "I was just teasing."

Naruto continued to watch students move across the dance floor. Speaking of Hinata…he still hadn't seen her  _or_  her date.

Naruto cleared his throat. "So, um, do you know who she went with?" he asked.

Sakura sighed dreamily. "Nope," Sakura said, clicking her tongue. "She seemed a bit hesitant about it."

"Think it's Kiba?" Naruto sneaked in.

Sakura laughed out loud. "Kiba? No way, they're like siblings."

Naruto didn't know why but he felt a little relieved.

"I know who she went with."

Sakura and Naruto turned in their seats, staring at Sasuke with open mouths.  _"What?"_

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah. She's going with this Slytherin kid. He'd ask me about her sometimes."

"Since  _when_?" Naruto asked, not even sure why this seemed to rile him up.

Sasuke took a deep breath, thinking. "Not sure. A few years?"

 _"What?"_  Naruto exclaimed. He himself had  _just_  started to see Hinata as…

As what?

Naruto stopped, tapping his fingers against the table, shaking his foot. He let out a grumbled sigh, crossed his arms, and stared back at the crowd.

"Is this guy older?" Sakura's voice cut through the music.

"Mhm," came Sasuke's tart reply.

"And did you answer that guys questions?" Sakura continued with her questions.

Sasuke shrugged again. "Yes."

Naruto heard Sakura inhale sharply. "You  _betrayed_  Naruto," she said dramatically.

Naruto slumped lower into his seat as he listened to Sasuke defend himself by saying something along the lines of the idiot not knowing what he wanted anyway.

Naruto didn't blame him. He wasn't sure either.

But then he saw her.

He saw Hinata gliding across the floor, donning a beautiful, black dress. Her hair hung off her shoulders, her pale skin contrasting with dark color of her gown, her eyes sparkling. She was dancing with a man with white hair, his hands tight at her waist. Her smile was small but she seemed to be having a good time.

As long as she was enjoying herself, he should be happy right?

But he wasn't and watching her dance with this other man was killing him.

.

* * *

.

Their fourth year Naruto learned he really needed Hinata in his life and Hinata learned to  _grow_.

.

* * *

.

_**Year Five** _

.

It was their O.W.L year. Which meant a lot more work than they were used to.

"Hinata,  _please_ ," Naruto begged, lounging over the backside of the couch that Hinata sat on as she tried to do her essay for History of Magic.

"What do you need help with?" she asked, smiling softly at his antics.

"Everything!" he exclaimed dramatically, doing a flip over the couch and landing with a thump beside her. He leaned in close, his breath against her skin as he tried to take a peek at what she was doing. "What you got there?"

Hinata laughed lightly, proud of herself for not going red. "Homework, Naruto. Maybe you should do the same?"

Naruto groaned dramatically, leaning back into the soft cushions of the couch. "I did practice Vanishing Spells for class," he said, as if that would make up for the mountains of homework piling up. "I don't know how you do it, Hinata," Naruto said. "Manage all this work along with Quidditch practice, staying after in the Greenhouse, taking care of Akamaru (yes, by that time the rest of their group of friends outside of Shino and Kiba learned about the dog and promised not to breathe a word), helping me with Kurama (and Naruto had found himself a friend as well one day when he went sneaking into the Forbidden Forest on a dare), and everything else on top of that."

The way he spoke about her made her soar. He was speaking with so much awe and admiration and maybe…even a little bit of longing? She bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling.

"Don't forget the time she has to allot for  _Toneri_ ," Kiba interrupted as he entered the Gryffindor common room.

Hinata noticed the way Naruto's shoulders stiffened and his face went blank at those words. She tried not to think too much into it and instead just shook her head at her long time friend. "Kiba, that's untrue!"

Said man snickered as he took a seat across from the two. Hinata knew  _he_  knew what he was doing. He was pulling on Naruto's strings and she was being roped in as well.

"If you say so, Hinata," he said, twirling his wand in his fingers. "But rumor has it Toneri is still really in to you."

Hinata blushed. "I don't know why-"

"What do you mean," Naruto piped up. "Who wouldn't be-" He shut his mouth quickly. "Ah, I mean…"

Kiba's laughter broke through the awkwardness and he winked as Hinata, as if to say,  _told ya so_.

"We said we wouldn't talk about Toneri," Hinata said, frowning at her brown haired friend.

Kiba gave her a sheepish smile. "Yeah, sorry about that Hinata. I shouldn't have brought him up-"

"Yeah, that bastard," Naruto interjected, looking livid. All of her friends knew what happened after the ball. He was going to walk her near her common room entrance and had tried to pull her in close to kiss her but she insisted on not wanting that. He didn't let up easily and, though he didn't exactly force her, tried to convince her with his conniving words. Hinata had started to feel uncomfortable. She could have easily handled him with a few waves of her wand but Naruto had just so happened to be sulking in the hall, making his way back towards his room when he saw the whole situation.

Toneri had to go to the nurses wing for a broken jaw and Naruto ended up with detention for  _days_ , a teacher complaining about him using  _muggle_  fighting techniques. Hinata insisted he was just trying to help her but Toneri was punished as well so Naruto was okay with it.

"Thank you for that," Hinata said lowly, waving her wand at the floating knitting needles she had enchanted to make a scarf as she worked.

"I told you, you have to stop thanking me," Naruto said, smiling gently at her.

Kiba watched their exchange with a knowing smile on their face, positive and sure they didn't even notice when he slipped away.

He'd tell Shino about the new development later.

.

* * *

.

It was one of the last Quidditch matches of the year and the weather was absolutely horrid. The rain was coming down hard; lightening in the sky, thunder deafening in their ears. All of them were wearing goggles which hardly did a thing against the downpour but luckily for a few of them, Sakura knew a handy little spell to shield their eyes from the rain just a little bit more.

Hinata road her broomstick higher into the air, knowing full well she was already reaching a dangerous point. On a normal day she would be circling many more feet above, eyes trained to look for that shiny, golden snitch but today the weather was dangerous.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something dark and round racing towards her and with a quick twirl she dodged the bludger and continued along her path. Thunder cracked, making it hard to listen to the commentary. She could see many green and red blurs rushing across the field and she watched the Slytherin seeker, Sasuke, hover the field far across from her. It made her nervous. If the snitch made its way over there and Sasuke saw it? The game would be over.

She saw a flash of yellow amidst the darkness and gray as Naruto moved quickly between different players, swinging his bat hard, knocking the bludger straight towards a Slytherin beater. She watched the white haired man did a flip to dodge it, flipping his finger at Naruto.

Hinata giggled a little before continuing on her way, unknowingly floating up higher. She was so used to doing this. It normally made it easier to see the field but the rain made it worse. A flash of lightening surprised her, almost making her loose her grip.

She dropped quickly, making her way closer to the rest of the fast paced game, this time lingering closer towards Sasuke, determined to get to the Snitch first even if the Uchiha spotted it before her.

She heard a loud sound and for a second assumed it was thunder but then, almost too late, she saw a bludger coming at full force towards her. She inhaled sharply, twisting one hundred and eighty degrees, hanging dangerously off her broomstick to avoid the flying ball. She had done this move plenty of times before but she forgot to account for the slippery rainwater. She tightened her gloved grip around the wooden handle of her broomstick and used all her strength to flip back up.

She heard the crowd gasp at her strange acrobatics and was able to make out her name from the commentary as cheers erupted from the Gryffindor stands. And as soon as she became comfortable she saw the bludger rushing towards her once again. She frowned, but this time was able to avoid it easily.

It was strange that the magic ball kept coming in her direction…the Beaters were supposed to keep them away from their teammates and send them towards the opposing team…

Hinata narrowed her eyes and, for a second, put her energy into searching for a particular person.

She huffed. Toneri. Of course. He was still bitter that she refused his countless advances towards her, even after the dance was long over. She saw him chasing around the bludger, hitting it with the bat once again towards her. She moved, flying up and over it, determined to ignore him and finish the game as soon as she could.

Still, the Snitch was nowhere to be seen. She saw Sasuke flying around just as wet and bedraggled.

"Hinata,  _move_!"

She turned around instinctively, seeing the bludger even closer than before. Her risky drop would do nothing at this rate and she shut her eyes, bracing herself for impact.

An impact that never came.

She heard a  _crack_  and her eyes flew open, dampened red robes fluttered before her, Naruto's wet hair flattened on his head. He looked over his shoulder, grin wide. "Don't worry, I'm here now," he said, before facing the field again, jaw tense. "That bastard has it out for you."

She knew it was his job to stop the bludgers from hitting her but the sight of his broad shoulders tense with anger and voice soft towards her still made her heart flutter.

"Thank you," she said quickly.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd and Hinata almost turned red. Did they know what she was thinking? Ridiculous.

But she noticed, almost too late, that it was because Sasuke was moving  _fast_.

"Oh no," she said, not realizing she said it out loud.

"Go," Naruto encouraged, shouting over the rain.

She took a deep breath and angled herself down. She could  _do_  this.

.

* * *

.

In the end Gryffindor won.

It was by a very slim margin. Slytherin was able to make more goals but Hinata was able to shake Sasuke off the first Snitch sighting and grab the golden ball the next time around, bringing Gryffindor up by merely ten points.

The Gryffindor common room was  _insane_.

Some people found a way to sneak some food up from the kitchens, banners were hung, and music blasted.

And Hinata was the center of attention.

She didn't care for that too much and, truthfully, would rather be up in her bedroom right now or someplace quiet with a couple of friends.

She winced when another set of hands slapped her on the back, people shouting praise as they went. She acknowledged everyone politely as she tried to squeeze her way through the dense crowd to no avail.

Perhaps her tiredness and exasperation showed on her face because she turned on her heels, prepared to see Kiba who had been trailing behind her but was instead face to face with Naruto.

"We won!" he exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders, laughing loudly.

She was enamored, her face pink, not sure what to say.

But she didn't have to say anything. Naruto pulled her into a tight hug, waving her this way and that and…she found her hands moving up to embrace him as well.

.

* * *

.

Their fifth year they both learned to grow fond of each others touch.

.

* * *

.

_**Year Six** _

.

Hinata was sitting near the Great Lake using her wand to lift the water up into the air and create pretty designs as the sun slowly started to set. They had only just returned to Hogwarts a few days back and she decided to practice some spells that night. She felt the air shift beside her as sounds of footsteps on the soft grass got closer.

Naruto sat down close beside her, his arm pressed against hers, before pulling out a large cinnamon bun he snuck out of the great hall.

"Here you go," he said, placing it in her free hand. He pulled out another one and took a large bite, watching her innocently with wide eyes.

She smiled before taking a nibble, thanking him quietly.

"What're you doing out here anyway?" he asked, pulling out some of his robe he sat on before stretching a bit. He yawned and she couldn't help but notice the sharp edge of his jaw, little prickles of hair starting to grow back on his chin.

"Just wanted some peace and quiet before classes started going full force," she admitted, tucking her wand away.

"Whoops, did I interrupt?"

"Never," she said with a shake of her head.

Naruto smiled softly. "I'm glad."

They sat in silence for a while, finishing up the last of their dessert. Naruto pulled out his wand and waved it over their heads so little glints of lights rained down on them.

Hinata laughed. "Where did you learn that?"

Naruto chuckled. "My guardian…Jiraya taught it to me," he said, smiling fondly.

Everyone in the school knew now. At first Naruto would be teased, some rude Slytherins would call him a  _mudblood_. But eventually they all learned about his heritage. His father was  _the_  Minato. A powerful and well renown wizard. And his wife, a powerful witch.

Naruto was born from greatness and Hinata always knew he was capable of so much. So,  _so_  much.

"Hey Hinata," Naruto spoke again, suddenly looking uncharacteristically nervous. She tilted her head, looking into his bright blue eyes. She watched him swallow and clear his throat before a hard look came to his eyes and he seemed to gather his resolve. "Hinata, would you join me on the next Hogsmeade trip?"

Naruto watched her eyes widen and could have sworn he saw her eyes twinkle.

It was much later did Hinata tell her friends what had happened and Naruto his own. Sakura laughed when Naruto embarrassingly informed her that he clarified to Hinata that it would just be him and her and none of their friends.

"So dense," Sakura had said between chuckles.

Naruto groaned in his hands but a smile kept creeping back to his face.

.

* * *

.

"Can I walk you to class, Hinata?"

Hinata looked up from her breakfast, smiling at the blond behind her, his hands massaging her shoulders gently, pressed against her back.

"We're going to the same place," she giggled.

"Are we?" he feigned, stepping back as she gathered her things to join him. "Thank god, I didn't  _really_  want to take you to class."

He leaned forward to give her a quick kiss but she leaned back. "Not here, Naruto," she said, hand on his chest, blush prevalent.

Naruto chuckled but understood, instead taking her hand in his own as they walked to the dungeons to get to their potions class. "You sure you didn't use a love potion on me, Hinata?"

Hinata looked taken back. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's insane how much I like you," he said casually.

A smile found its way to her face but she just shook her head, almost embarrassed at his corniness. "You're crazy."

"Crazy for  _you_ ," Naruto laughed.

"Oh you guys are so gross," came a familiar voice as Kiba pushed in between them, throwing his arms around their respective shoulders. He was grinning broadly, eyes shifting from one friend to the other. "So gross," he repeated.

"Hey," Naruto said, grinning, throwing a fist at him.

Kiba dodged easily, slipping from the two. He walked backwards, hands stuffed in his robes. "How long has it been?"

Naruto shrugged, snaking his fingers in-between Hinata's once more. "A couple weeks?"

"Were they the best weeks of your life?" Kiba asked dramatically, clasping his hands together and bringing them up to his kissy face. He made obnoxious sounds and stopped only when he accidentally bumped into a wall, which both Hinata and Naruto just  _happened_  to forget to warn him about.

Hinata laughed softly, rubbing the top of his shaggy brown hair like she would with Akamaru as they continued their way to class.

.

* * *

.

The flames from the fireplace flickered, casting shadows on the walls of the Gryffindor common room. It was late into the night now and the snow lay heavy against the ledge of the window, obscuring the view outside. Soon, one by one, students fell prey to sleep and wandered on back upstairs to their comfortable beds. Naruto watched each one leave, his gaze eventually falling to the young woman beside him, dutifully writing a paper whose due date was weeks away.

When the last person left them alone Naruto turned to face his girlfriend, the glint of the fire twinkling in his eyes.

Hinata looked up at him, questioningly. "What?"

He took the feather and roll of parchment from her hands and set them on the table before sidling up closer to her.

Hinata laughed, as his hair rubbed against her neck as he embraced her, tucked against her side, lips gliding over her neck.

"That tickles, Naruto," she said, falling into the couch, flat on her back, as Naruto hovered above her.

"Good, I love it when you laugh," he said with a grin, before leaning down to kiss her slowly. The kisses were tender and soft, his hand firmly against her waist, another at her cheeks.

"Don't you have homework to finish?" she asked between kisses.

Naruto pressed himself against her, placing a kiss near her ear. "Maybe, but this can be our little break," he whispered.

Hinata couldn't control the little shiver than ran through her body. He was her weakness.

"Okay," was all she could manage before he caught her lips once more.

.

* * *

.

This happened more often than Kiba cared to admit. Considering he shared a dormitory with Naruto and several other sixth year Gryffindor boys, he noticed when Naruto didn't come back at night. The brown haired young man slid down the railing, landing smoothly in the common room. He made his way over to the fireplace, knowing full well what he would find.

Hinata was curled up on one side of the large couch, head in Naruto's lap, while Naruto frantically tried to finish the work he neglected because he had, no doubt, placed Hinata's attention higher on his list of priorities.

"How is it that Hinata manages to finish everything but  _you_  don't?" Kiba asked, leaning over the back of the couch.

Naruto hushed him, careful not to wake Hinata with his movements, but did his best to finish everything on time.

Kiba chuckled. "You know sleeping on the couch can't be good for her back," he said as he walked towards the portrait hole to grab some breakfast. "Or staying up extra late to make out with you," he teased.

Kiba knew he wouldn't really find them in their usual position now. Once Naruto learned he might be doing the slightest thing to cause her any kind of harm he'd find a way around it. Kiba didn't mind finding them there. It was like a game. But he was really glad the blond cared for his friend so much.

.

* * *

.

In their sixth year Naruto and Hinata's friends learned the two were inseparable and found support in one another.

.

* * *

.

_**Year Seven** _

.

Naruto was worried he would never see Hinata again.

He was on the path to become an Auror, a highly trained specialist, to fight against the dark arts. Many of his friends were.

But for some reason he was just afraid that he was going to lose Hinata.

She seemed to be leaning towards becoming an Auror as well but he wasn't sure her family would approve of him. Everyone knew now that he didn't come from nothing. And he was also one of the strongest wizards in their school.

And yet he feared he wasn't good enough for her.

Hinata had no idea what was eating at him. She only knew there was something wrong and Naruto was starting to distance himself. So she worried he didn't want her anymore.

"Ugh, dumb teenage drama," Ino said, as she watched Hinata gloomily pick at her breakfast.

"Ino, don't be so mean," Sakura said, rubbing her hand against Hinata's back. "You're just jealous you don't have drama of your own."

"Are you kidding?" Ino said, laughing lightly. "I got my eyes on-"

"If you say Sasuke…"

Ino snorted. "Please, I was over him a long time ago." She shook her head and leaned in close. "I got my eyes on Sai."

Sakura was a little surprised but made no comment.

"Hinata!"

Their boisterous, blond friend came jogging over to the Hufflepuff table, a smile on his face. With one hand on Hinata's shoulder, he leaned over, grabbed her fork and ate a couple bites of the breakfast on her plate.

"Naruto!" Sakura chastised. "Leave her alone!"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, taking a chug of her orange juice. "We have Quidditch practice in a few minutes."

"You are so dense," Sakura said, arms crossed.

Naruto looked from her to the dark haired woman below him. She hadn't said a word.

"Hinata…?"

Before she had a chance to speak, Kiba shouted from the doors of the Great Hall, urging them to hurry to the fields. Hinata got up quickly, grabbing her things. She waved good-bye to her girl friends and made her way to the door.

Naruto watched her go, hurt evident on his face.

"What did I do?" he asked hoarsely.

"You ever hear of self fulfilling prophecy?" Sakura spoke, putting a hand on her friends forearm.

"Sakura," he complained, face in the palm of his hands. "I don't need a lecture-"

"Listen, Naruto," she said. "You told Sasuke and I what you were afraid of and what you thought was going to happen with you and Hinata. So you started acting in ways that are making what you believe true."

Naruto frowned. "So all this  _is_  my fault."

Sakura winced. "That's not what I'm trying to say."

Naruto thought about what she said, understanding. "Thanks. I have to talk to my girlfriend. While she still is."

Sakura watched him run off, cloak billowing behind him.

"They're so cute though," Ino said, sighing dramatically. "They're perfect for each other. It'll work out."

Sakura sure hoped so.

.

* * *

.

And it did.

All relationships have ups and downs and luckily Naruto and Hinata were able to surpass their petty teenage drama, and even greater troubles.

And now their years at Hogwarts was ending.

Hinata did her best to relieve Naruto of his worries. She assured him he was good enough for her and that's all that mattered. And Naruto comforted Hinata in her worries as well. The rest of their last year at Hogwarts together went on smoothly.

Their friends knew practically everything about the couple's relationship.

But one thing Naruto and Hinata kept hidden from them all was that near the end of their time at Hogwarts, he had proposed to Hinata and she, unsurprisingly, said yes.

Maybe it was early. Maybe not.

It was a promise.

There was no rush but it was their way of confirming with each other that they would indeed make themselves a forever.

.

* * *

.

Their seventh year they learned they couldn't live without each other and so they promised themselves to the other.

Their seventh year they learned to overcome.

Their seventh year, they learned what they had was love.


	17. One-Shot 13: Zombie AU Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hell is outside of Konoha's walls so it's no surprise that everything goes wrong when they step foot in it.

Their wedding took place during the spring.

It was quite beautiful. The cherry blossom trees had bloomed, showering the bride and groom with its petals, creating a blanket of soft pink on the ground. They shared their first kiss as husband and wife in front of their smiling friends and families.

Hidden safely behind Konoha's walls as the dead scratched at the steel and wood.

Naruto took surprisingly longer than their friends thought he would at proposing. He always  _insinuated_  that he would never let Hinata go but it took him some time to get around making it official.

It was because he was worried.

He was scared to promise himself to her not because he had problems with settling down. Hell, they started living together not too long into their relationship.

No, he was scared because of the world they lived in.

What if something happened to either one of them? It was a very likely possibility. He didn't want to give her any other reason to risk her life for him (though he knew she would do it regardless).

 _Still_. It was always hard to create meaningful relationships nowadays when those you love could be snatched from your grip in a second.

.

* * *

.

A muffled groan resonated from behind their closed bedroom door.

There were no scenic island vacations or beautiful foreign lands he could whisk his wife off to celebrate their honeymoon. Instead they settled for the safety of their own home.

Naruto nipped at the side of Hinata's throat, her fingernails raking down his back causing him more pleasure than pain. He held on to her tightly, moving with her as their waists connected again and again. He kissed the healing cuts and bruises she obtained from countless encounters with the dead and outsiders he found scattered across her skin, his grip tightening.

This was why he was so scared. So many people and so many things hurt the people he loved…the  _person_  he loved.

Then he slowed, taking her lips with his own for a slow, tender kiss. Her fingers moved gently up the slope of his back, gently massaging his flexing muscles before playing with the hair at the back of his neck. She kissed him with so much warmth that his heart felt heavy, always wondering how she could hold so much love and how, in this moment, it was all directed towards him.

She stroked his whiskers as he pulled back for some air, blue eyes resembling a stormy sky, darkened with lust. Her lips plump and red from his touch, cheeks dusted a light pink, little beads of sweat trailing from their foreheads. His eyes followed her dark hair strewn against the pillows, a pale white contrasting with her dark locks. All her curves were pressed up against him, skin against skin, their heat warming the other.

"Hinata," her name left his lips in a whisper, voice deep. The woman beneath him, all at once, became his whole world. Apocalypse be damned.

"Naruto, please," she finally said, lifting her hips once more.

The man suppressed a groan as her slick folds enveloped him again, hot and alive. And all for him.

And the noises she made. Oh god, the little mewls and sighs and gasps. He yearned to hear them again.

Hinata hooked her legs around him as he cloaked her in his arms, kissing her once more. A brief kiss full of promise.

She never felt safer than when she was in his embrace.

.

* * *

.

Konoha was running dangerously low on supplies and some of the walls were getting precariously weak. In was a fortunate surprise, some would say a blessing, that the walls had stood this long at all. Of course there were plenty of occasions, too many in the inhabitants of the once grand cities opinion, where some sections of the walls fell, either due to zombie hordes, adamant outsiders, or even just because of weathering storms.

It was about time to go on another mission.

A big one, not a simple food run. They were doing well with food, having planted their own garden and breeding livestock. They needed raw materials, wood, metal, and the like. Maybe even weapons.

This was common knowledge around the village but a proper plan had yet to be put into place.

A few weeks later Naruto stood in his shared kitchen with Hinata staring at her; face a mixture of fury and fear.

"No," he repeated.

"Naruto, I'm not asking for permission," she said gently yet there was a hint of ice in her tone.

She saw his jaw tense and nose flare, eyebrows furrowed together. He held eye contact with her; hers stoic and tense, before tearing his gaze away, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hinata,  _please_ …"

She almost crumbled at hearing the pain in his voice but she held her resolve.

" _You're_  going," she said, her voice softening. She shuffled her feet and wrapped her arms around herself. "How's that fair?"

"I won't be alone," Naruto said. "I'd have Sasuke and-"

" _I_ wouldn't be alone either," Hinata said. "I'd have  _you_."

Naruto frowned. He knew he had no rational reasoning. He couldn't explain with his head but his heart was screaming  _no_. His emotions tugged at him, hanging from him like chains. They had been through so much together. So much hardship. He had almost lost her more times than he would ever like and the fact that he had gotten so much closer to her, both physically and emotionally, made it all that much harder to willingly allow her into any sort of danger. He had lost too much and  _she_  was one thing he would hold on to for dear life. She had went on plenty of missions outside their walls before, him accompanying her for a few as well, and he knew first hand what she was capable of…

But this was supposed to be a long trip, through dangerous areas no doubt overrun by the dead.

"You're  _not_  going," he said firmly.

Hinata's eyes hardened and she dropped her arms to her side, fists clenched.

"When you're ready to talk about this logically-"

 _There's no_ logic _to it_ , Naruto thought. It was his heart speaking.

"-I'll be here to listen," she finished before turning her back on him. He watched her walk to their room, closing the door gently behind her.

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, cursing under his breath. Not at her but at the bond between them. It was so wonderful…it warmed him to the core. He couldn't imagine his life without her and that was precisely why… Naruto huffed impatiently. He knew he was wrong in this case but…

Naruto grabbed his jacket that hung from a hook on the wall and stormed out the door. Before he knew it he found himself in front of the only thing that remotely resembled a bar in Konoha. He hardly traversed the place and normally only came to spend time with his buddies there.

But today he was here to drink.

A few of the residents of Konoha were always drunk. They drank to forget the horrors outside the walls, and sometimes simply outside their door. But many more avoided the drink, only splurging on occasion, in an attempt to keep their mind clear and sharp, ready for any fight that always loomed overhead like the blade of a guillotine ready to fall.

The alcohol there was harsh and burned his throat. It didn't taste good and smelled even worse. It was made of materials he didn't care to name or think about but it did the job nonetheless.

He felt a hand clap him on the back, squeezing his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

Lazily he flicked his eyes up. "Kiba."

"Hey, Naruto, I haven't seen you here in a while," his friend said, sitting down beside him. The bartender slid over a glass filled with murky brown liquid that Kiba took a sip of sparingly, nose wrinkling.

Naruto just grunted in response, picking at the wooden counter.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Kiba chuckled. "I'm sure Hinata didn't appreciate that attitude."

Naruto shot him a glare that could paralyze outsiders but Kiba smirked at him unfazed.

"C'mon, Naruto," Kiba said, patting him on the back. "I know you guys better than that. What's wrong? Does it have anything to do with the fact that Hinata's been saying she's been feeling bloated lately?"

Naruto gave him a confused look. "What?"

Kiba shrugged. "Took her out for lunch a couple days back and she ordered some shrimp-"

"She hates shrimp," Naruto said bluntly.

"I know that, I'm just saying she felt like…I don't know. Girls are weird okay. Guess she didn't feel attractive or whatever."

None of that made sense to him. He never once let Hinata think negatively of herself. He didn't think he'd be able to point out her flaws if he  _wanted_  to. He was blind to them. Naruto sighed, apologizing under his breath. He was about to speak when he saw a familiar face reflected in the mirror that hung behind the bar.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked as his best friend pulled up a stool on the other side of him, giving Kiba a curt nod.

"Sakura's mad at me," Sasuke said bluntly, refusing a drink offered by the bartender.

"Ah, you told her you're going today too?"

"You guys are talking about that infamous mission?" Kiba asked, downing his drink. "My god, good luck to you two." He pushed his chair back. "Now that he's here, get what you need to say off your chest, okay?" Kiba was about to leave but hesitated before turning to Naruto once more, poking him a bit harder than he should have. "Also, don't you  _dare_  hurt Hinata-"

"I wouldn't ever-" Naruto started incredulously.

"Not  _intentionally_ ," Kiba said obviously.

"Kiba-"

"I'm just saying, man," Kiba said. "She's one of my best friends and, well, you know how it is."

Naruto nodded, eyes downcast. He did. "I'd give my life for her."

Kiba stared at his friend. Naruto's words rang true and with one last farewell he left the bar, leaving the two brooding husbands alone.

"That was dramatic," Sasuke said, dark eyes meeting blue ones.

"Shut up."

"So what's your problem?"

"Hinata wants to come on the mission," Naruto grumbled.

"So?"

" _So_?" Naruto explained, taking another shot. He slammed the glass on the counter, a crack appearing on the side (not because of his strength but the lack of quality in the material). "So, I thought  _you'd_  understand why I'm upset at least."

Sasuke said nothing for a couple seconds. "Sakura is coming on the mission as well."

Naruto looked at his best friend with wide eyes. Sasuke was as apathetic as ever but Naruto could see the stress lines by the crinkle of his dark eyes and the way his lips were pursed into a thin line.

"And you're okay with that?" Naruto asked.

"Obviously not," Sasuke said, almost rolling his eyes. "But I will be there as well."

"Still…"

"Would you ever let Hinata get hurt?" Sasuke asked.

"Of course not, why does everyone keep ask-"

"Then why are you worried?" his friend finished.

Naruto clenched his teeth.

Logic sucked sometimes.

.

* * *

.

Hinata was lying in bed, awake, when Naruto finally sauntered back into their home smelling of liquor. She lay still when the door opened and he stood there for a second, as if debating what to do. She heard his shuffling footsteps get closer and the bed creaked down from his weight. Her back was still to him but she could sense his hovering hand above her, wanting to hold her close to him but worried about her reaction.

"I just want you to be safe," he whispered.

Hinata allowed her eyes to open and she stared out of the window in front of her, Naruto somewhere behind her, balanced on his elbow. She heard him release a breath of air as he pulled his arm back, settling down at the opposite edge of the bed.

A couple moments passed before Hinata rolled over, shifting closer to his body. His eyes opened slowly, the moonlight shining off his blue eyes. She said nothing and instead pressed herself against him, snaking an arm under his own and around his waist, face buried in his chest.

Naruto immediately returned the gesture, wrapping his strong arms around her, pressing his face against her hair.

He allowed himself this moment of peace inside the walls.

.

* * *

.

"Teams will be small to avoid being seen, create minimum noise, and get in and out of your assigned locations as efficiently as possible," Kakashi explained. "Teams of four are ideal."

He continued to hand out respective assignment to the small groups and sent them on their way. He finally turned to one of the youngest groups: Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke.

"You four will head Northeast," he said, head resting on intertwined fingers. "There are plenty of cities that we hope haven't been touched by too many people. You've been assigned two large vehicles in order to account for the materials you bring back. Go to the armory in order to stock on one weapons and other supplies to assist you on the trip. Try to come back alive."

As soon as they were dismissed the team agreed to meet at the front gate in an hour, leaving them time to do last minute packing.

Naruto trailed behind Hinata, leaving a respectable distance between them. For a while Hinata allowed him but soon she stopped in her tracks, his chest grazing her back.

"Are you still mad?" she asked quietly, rubbing her arm as she stared at the ground. The fall weather was pleasant but frigid all the same, but it was the thought of Naruto hating her chilled her to the bones.

"Course not," he insisted. Their argument happened several days ago and things were relatively back to normal. Every time he saw her packing for their joint mission a little bit of apprehension pressed down on him but it made him want to work all the harder. "We all make a great team."

She agreed.

.

* * *

.

They were hardly a couple hours out when they met their first major obstacle. A young tree had fallen, no doubt uprooted during a terrible storm, and it blocked the road. It was small and the trees alongside the road were too dense for their cars to weave through so they allotted to try and move the dead plant. Backtracking would take too much time and this would be better on the long run.

They hoped.

Sakura hopped out of her shared car with Sasuke, sledgehammer in hand.

"We can tie a rope around the tree and car-" Naruto started to say as Hinata and him exited their respective vehicle before Sakura raised her arms in the air and brought down her weapon of choice, causing a large crack to appear in the wood. "Or that," Naruto said, laughing lightly.

"It'll be easier to tie half of the tree to the cars and drive. I doubt they'd be able to move this thing whole," Sakura explained, bringing the sledgehammer back down again.

"It's a bit loud," Hinata said warily, allowing the knives strapped on her wrists to unsheathe, just in case.

"I agree," Sasuke said, shaking his head with a sigh. He stood tall next to his pink haired spouse, his dark cloak contrasting with her red outfit, both slightly worn and splattered with dirt.

Naruto and Hinata weren't so different. Naruto went to the trunk of his car to find some rope, his black jacket and fading orange pants contrasting with Hinata's pale purple top and dark shorts. Her tights were torn and her boots dusted with mud from countless missions but their outfits were comfortable and allowed them to move easily when traversing the landscapes and fighting off enemies.

Sasuke had a hand on the katana strapped to his back, eyes watching the shadows of the trees as Sakura continued to lob at the defenseless tree.

"Okay, all done," she said, wiping off sweat from her forehead. She jumped from atop the crushed branches and gestured towards her handiworks. "All yours, boys."

Naruto tossed Sasuke one end of the rope and jumped over the other side of the tree and they worked together to wind the rope around the wide trunk.

Hinata stood guard alongside Sakura, gazing out into the trees, glad the sun was still out, although barely. She didn't like how much noise they probably made. Driving the cars was loud enough but it was usually okay considering they were always moving. But they had stopped and she had a bad feeling.

Naruto paused from his work, letting Sasuke do his side, and took this time to glance over at the women. Sakura stood close to them, hands clenched around the handle of her hammer. She had become quite adept at the art of healing but that in no way weakened her combat abilities. He watched Hinata pace slowly a couple feet away from the cars and his hands itched towards the guns strapped to his thighs. She looked nervous.

"Hinata-"

She held up a finger quickly, hushing him immediately. The entire team halted, listening intently.

For a second there was nothing. Then…

 _Crack_.

A twig in the near vicinity.

Naruto whipped out a gun, swiveling in the direction of the sound, but the large car blocked his view. He watched as Hinata moved, swift on her feet, Sakura following in haste.

" _Naruto_ ," Sasuke hissed, indicating at the rope.

They had to hurry.

He heard the groans from the undead, the squelching sound from Hinata's weapons making contact with her targets, the crunches from Sakura's sledgehammer.

"Okay, this one's ready," Naruto said. He realized they really only had to move one half of the fallen tree and the team could easily move through single file.

But they had to  _hurry_.

Naruto ran towards the drivers seat, finally getting view of the carnage- the hell the girls raised on the undead. He itched to use his gun, shoot the zombie that Hinata kicked away from herself, but he tried to use his weapon of choice sparingly. It would only call more of the monsters lurking nearby. And he also had another goal to accomplish.

He could hear the blood pounding in his ears as he and Sasuke hit the pedal at the same time, forcing the cars into reverse. At first it seemed as though the broken tree wouldn't budge.

"C'mon, c'mon," Naruto muttered under his breath, eyes darting to his rearview mirror. He saw Hinata whirl around, elbowing a monster in the neck before jumping towards Sakura, saving her from being bitten from behind.

He pressed his foot harder on the pedal and finally the car jolted and the tree creaked under the pressure, scraping against the pavement, leaving dust and fallen branches in its wake.

As soon as there was enough space left for a car to pass he saw Sasuke leap out of his car and rush to untie the rope. He noticed the girls started to get pushed back by the zombies and instead of taking his time, pulled out his katana and swiped down. As Sasuke quickly gathered the hacked materials Naruto reached over and pushed open the car door.

"Let's go!" he shouted.

Sakura and Hinata responded immediately, throwing themselves into the car, scrambling away from rotting hands clawing at them and biting teeth.

Naruto accelerated even before the door closed and they raced past the trees, Sasuke's car following closely behind.

.

* * *

.

Naruto followed Sasuke through the weaving back roads as the edged nearer and nearer to a fallen city. They avoided the highways the best they could, no doubt fraught with outsiders ready to ambush unsuspecting victims. Sasuke slowed his car down and Naruto followed in suit, watching as the couple stepped out of their vehicle.

"Guess this is it," Naruto said, squeezing Hinata's hand. He drove like that for a while, one hand on the wheel, the other clasped around hers. The roads were usually desolate so he didn't fear getting into any sort of accident with another car.

"We'll be okay," she said, smiling at him.

When the two caught up with their friends, Sasuke indicated somewhere behind them.

"Perhaps we should leave one car hidden here," Sasuke said. "We'll take one in, do a reconnaissance, take what we can, and do another trip if we have to."

"Better to be safe," Sakura explained. "If something goes wrong, it would be good to have something to get away in waiting."

Hinata nodded in agreement, as did Naruto. They gathered what they needed and hopped in with the dark haired man and bright haired woman.

The city buildings looked grey and bleak, stray zombies roamed lazily from what they could see. They had a couple specific buildings in mind but getting there would be the hard part. They would have to clear the roads from the dead to make transporting materials easy. This would take some time.

"Might as well find a relatively safe place to hole up during our stay," Naruto said with a sigh, different plans and strategies running through his head.

"How about the library?" Hinata said, looking at the worn out map the Hokage was able to provide them.

"The library?" Naruto laughed a little. Hinata giggled but she had some reasoning behind it. It was very close to where they were now and-

"It actually makes sense," Sakura said, thinking. "The buildings are pretty sturdy, should be stocked with vending machines, got lots of materials to burn…not that I like it," she said. She loved reading but if worse came to worse… "Can use the shelves as barricade-"

"And building material," Naruto said, eyes widening.

Hinata nodded happily.

Sasuke said nothing to voice his opinion but agreed nonetheless. He took a quick turn down a wide alley, following Hinata's instructions on how to get to their new safe haven.

.

* * *

."This is great!" Naruto said as they entered the musty old library. They had just finished taking out any lurking creatures in the surrounding area and in the building itself before locking the two sets of doors at the entrance. For extra measure they pushed a shelf to cover the doors and windows, suffice for about two to exit from themselves.

After breaking the glass of a vending machine the four were gathered in a spacious reading room lined with couches and plush chairs trying to figure out their next game plan. He noticed Hinata eat a couple snacks she normally disliked but didn't pay it too much mind. Choices were slim here.

"Honestly, we could get a lot of wooden planks and steel shelving from this place," Sakura admitted, looking around the place.

"Still," Sasuke said. "We should hit some different places. Like the steel mill."

Soon they all came to agreement and decided to pack it up for the night. Even though they switched shifts during the ride it would be nice to get in a couple hours of sleep straight through.

Naruto and Hinata took the employees lounge. By pushing two couches together they created a semi comfortable bed for two but it didn't matter too much considering the fact that Hinata ended up on top of his chest anyway. Naruto held her snugly, running his hands up and down her back soothingly.

"You don't have a scratch on you," he said, referring to their last encounter with the zombies.

"I have a couple," she said, the palms of her hands resting against his chest. She leaned down and kissed him slowly. They stayed like this for a while, ignoring the shuffling of walkers somewhere outside the building.

Hinata felt Naruto's hand slither up the inside of her outfit, caressing her skin.

"Here?" she whispered, breaking their lip contact, cheeks turning pink. "During a mission?"

Naruto slid his hands to grip curve of her ass, grinning mischievously. "That never stopped us before," he said, nipping at her bottom lip. He loved how she turned red and the feeling of her hips pressing closer to his. "This sort of reminds me of our first time together," he whispered, unzipping her top.

Her mind went hazy when he fondled breasts in his mouth. She bit her lip, fully aware that their friends were sleeping only a room or two away.

Naruto wanted to flip her over, tear off the rest of their clothes, and take her fast. He wanted to hear her begging in his ears, her moans echo off the walls. But he knew he couldn't do that.

Soon they were both naked and he continued to run his fingers across her bare skin as she trailed feather light kisses down his chest. She rubbed against his erection all the while before he firmly gripped her hips. She met his eyes, heat rushing to her core at the igniting look he gave her. Without breaking contact he handed her a condom he had in his pant pocket.

There was something oddly arousing watching her slip on the material. She was about to bring her lips down to his member when he shot out a hand and tugged gently at her chin.

"No," he said. Not today. He hoisted her back to her previous position, his back against the couch cushions, her pressed deliciously against him. She lifted herself slightly and he knew she was ready. Almost forgetting he pushed himself inside her hard, earning a loud gasp from his wife.

" _Naruto_ ," she hissed under her breath. It was a warning. She was embarrassed and in no way did she want to be caught in this compromising position.

Naruto grinned at her, circling his hips. "We're husband and wife," he said lowly, reaching up to pull her lips closer. She could feel their breaths intermingling. "What's so wrong about this?"

They kissed and Hinata bit his lip slightly harder than he thought she would and he pulled back, surprised. She smiled at him, a sultry smile, and he knew she was playing with him too. It put fire in his veins and he held onto her hips again, searching her face for any sort of sign. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and he took it.

Hinata gasped into the curve of his neck as Naruto moved his hips, connecting over and over again. Her body moved on its own accord and she felt that oh so familiar pressure forming inside of her. A frustrating but pleasing feeling and she just wanted to feel that release.

" _Naruto_ ," she moaned, fingers gripping tightly against him.

Naruto knew all of her sounds, all of her movements. The way she breathed his name against him he knew she was close. He slowed his thrusts but it seemed Hinata grew addicted to the pace and continued for them. She said his name again, almost begging that he not stop. But he moved a hand between her thighs, against the little curls of dark hair, and touched her where she was most sensitive. She gasped in surprise before biting her lips, head still buried into his neck.

"Please," he heard her say and it wrung at his heart. He couldn't tease her any longer. She so lovingly called his name, held onto him so hard. He could hardly stifle his own moans of pleasure. He took the reign again, thrusting into her in a way he knew she liked. He could feel her walls clenching around him, hear her shuddering gasps, and he knew she was almost there.

"I love you," he breathed against her. "I love you."

He felt her kiss at his pulse point and within a few moments her back curved, pressing her even closer to his own chest. Skin on skin. Breath on breath. Moan after moan. This is where she would normally throw her head back and let out a loud gasp but she did her best to stay quiet, trembling against him, exhausted and spent.

But he wasn't done. He moved even faster, unrelenting knowing she could take it. Now that she went over once she would easily be able to do it again. He took the tip of her breast in his mouth again, sucking, his fingers playing with her as his hips continued to thrust.

"I can't," she said, a groan escaping her.

"That's okay," he huffed, feeling himself reach that peak.

"God, Naruto, I love you," she said, taking her lips with her own. It was bruising but sensual. He felt her fingers at his cheeks, tracing his whiskers, and just like that he felt her clench around him once more, her moan vibrating against his mouth and he followed in suit, holding her hips firmly against his, releasing.

She collapsed on him, sweaty and tired, and he pulled over his jacket to cover them before wrapping his arms around her.

He couldn't lose this.

.

* * *

.

They spent the next couple of days trying to quietly assassinate the roaming zombies that interfered with the path they wanted to take and create things that resembled a barricade along some of the side streets to prevent more walkers from coming in. It wasn't that effective because the city was simply crawling with too many creatures.

Things were going well for a while with only occasional mishaps. Naruto and Hinata worked well together, Hinata quick, efficient, and clean, moved from one or two zombies to the next. Naruto just as good, if not better, taking on several at a time, kicking and pushing some back, dealing death blows to others. His guns were a precautionary measure and the whole team hoped they wouldn't need them. Firing a bullet in the middle of the city would wreck havoc on them.

They had already stockpiled as much as they could scavenge from the library, pharmacies they passed on their way, grocery stores, and other places. They made it to the steel mill after a lot of hard work, blood, and sweat and worked to strap on and stuff as much material as they could.

It was when they were driving out did they realize something was wrong.

"Why are there so many walkers?" Hinata said in a hushed voice, staring out the window. Zombies wandered the streets, approaching their car, and the crowd only thickened as they left the building.

"One of the barriers probably didn't hold," Naruto guessed grimly.

"This is bad," Sakura said, eyes widening as the dead continued to grow thicker.

"The car can't plow through all of them," Hinata said.

"We need to fight," Naruto concluded, eyes going hard.

It was just like when they tried to clear the path in the first place. Leaving the car behind, near a dilapidated, crumbling buildings similar to all the others in the area, they moved towards the crowd.

It was going well for a while but before they noticed they were split into two, zombies surrounding them from either direction.

Naruto thought he felt the ground shake and stumbled slightly but luckily Sakura swung her sledgehammer down onto a zombie trying to take a chunk out of Naruto's arm. He muttered a quick thanks before continuing with the fight. He could hear the swish of Sasuke's sword somewhere behind him and Hinata's grunts as she put her all into fighting their enemies. He could hear crumbling from the buildings, worn from years of misuse and fighting.

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned to the sound of his name, seeing a look of horror on Sakura's face. They were far from the other two now and she was facing their direction, eyes wide in fear. Naruto followed her gaze, his heart dropping.

Sasuke and Hinata were becoming overrun by the creatures.

He had to do it.

_Bang!_

A shot rang through the clearing, ricocheting off the withering walls.

Naruto aimed clear, a shot straight through the head of a walker that had hooked onto Hinata's arm. He could feel his arm trembling and his breathing was ragged. He was seeing red at what would have happened.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed beside him.

Naruto took aim and shot again, consequences be damned at the moment. Five bullets escaped him and five monsters fell dead.

Hinata whipped around, meeting his eyes from the briefest second when a loud rumbling hammered at their ears. All eyes moved towards the large building beside them, and it seemed even the dead stopped in their movements.

The building was crumbling, chunks of cement fell, and Naruto and Sakura scrambled to get out of the way, pushing zombies out of their path. A large chunk of the building toppled, blocking their path towards Hinata and Sasuke. One fortunate thing about the collapsing building was it crushed many of the dead. But not enough. Never enough.

"Naruto!"

His name left Hinata's lips and she watched in horror as the falling building finally met the ground, a cloud of dust billowed out in all directions. Coughing and rubbing her eyes, the fear from losing her husband and friend almost made her forget about her own predicament.

She felt movement near her as Sasuke pushed her to the side, swinging his katana around, hacking off heads of zombies. A brief thought crossed her mind. She hoped the car was undamaged- all that effort put in to retrieve building materials and hospital supplies would be for nothing if something happened.

"Naruto, we have to move!" she heard Sakura's voice over the chaos.

"I can't-" she heard him reply. She moved to take down a zombie crawling towards her before pressing her back against Sasukes. "We can't-"

A loud crack echoed again and the building further crumbled, sending bricks and debris towards them. Hinata and Sasuke leapt away, and she rolled on the floor to avoid the clawing hands and gnarling teeth. She felt her hands go raw against the pavement, her knees scraped the floor. A hand grabbed her tightly by the shoulder and she almost impaled Sasuke with her weapon, her eyes wide and fearful, his almost mimicking hers but mouth in a tight line.

"Let's go," he said.

He pulled her up and they ran towards the fallen building, the horde of zombies following close behind. Between the rubble and pipes she could see Naruto and Sakura scrambling to get away from their own demons. Naruto's gun rang loud and Sakura swung her weapon under her muscles burned from exhaustion.

Strange smoke and steam billowed from the rubble and there were too many jagged rocks sticking out, mixed with broken pipes and large hidden screws. The pile was too large and heads and arms of zombies whose craniums weren't crushed scratched at the outside, waiting to grab anyone who passed. It was too dangerous and insurmountable to pass.

Sakura kept the zombies away as Naruto turned to reload his gun, eyes surveying the field across from him. He watched in horror as waves of zombies, some crawling over one another, almost put his wife and best friend in a corner.

He could see they were thinking of coming over but that would mean death for them.

"GO!" he yelled, waving them aside. "RUN!"

He saw Hinata's eyes widen as she moved towards the building, only to have her wrist pulled by Sasuke.

"Let go!" he heard her shout, struggling to get her grip free.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted, his voice hoarse. She had to move. They had to leave  _now_  before they were overwhelmed. "We'll take the car and see you at the meet up point!"

She hesitated, eyes searching, heart pounding.

Naruto raised his gun again, shooting somewhere behind them as zombies got too close.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled again, almost pleadingly. " _Protect_  her!"

Scared blue eyes met dark ones and he saw his friend nod once.

Naruto tore his face away from Hinata's stricken one before doing his best to fight alongside Sakura.

Hinata froze, breathing rapidly as she saw Naruto return to fighting.

"I have to help him," she said under her breath.

"You have to help yourself," Sasuke finally spoke, taking down a couple more zombies.

Hinata shut her eyes, gaining resolve before joining him in the fray. They had to make it back to the meeting point and she had to believe Naruto and Sakura would as well.

"Let's go," Sasuke said, running towards an opening in the crowd. It was slim and he cut down the walkers bordering the edge but they ran to the closest building, shutting the door behind them. Hinata did her best to hold it shut as Sasuke pushed a large shelf filled with miscellaneous items to block the entrance.

"We can't stop here," he said as he swiftly continued through the building.

Breathing heavily, Hinata followed, her mind replaying Naruto's frightened face, his yells. She moved herself in front of Sasuke, taking the lead. She took down a few zombies that lingered in the rooms of the building as they continued their trek.

They were stuck for a while, hordes of zombies at one end of the ally that the back door opened to, and a solid brick wall in another.

"Up," she said, unsheathing her weapons. There was a fire escape a bit above them, too high to reach. She waited beneath it, almost forgetting it was Sasuke with her and not Naruto. Naruto would have known what she was thinking without her saying a word. "I need a boost," Hinata spoke, glancing back at her husbands best friend.

Sasuke nodded in understand, pushing her up.

With effort, Hinata jammed her weapon into a crack in the wall for support, pulling herself higher. She tucked in the tip of her boot onto a brick that slightly stuck out and pushed up, fingers grasping for the metal. Straining, she pulled herself up, rolling between the grates. She reached over and released the ladder, allowing Sasuke to climb up.

Sasuke said nothing to her but she could tell he was satisfied with her abilities.

.

* * *

."Naruto…is very proud of you," Sasuke spoke out of the blue as they settled down in one of the abandoned apartments for the night. They had just finished clearing the rooms and securing all areas of entrance when he uttered those words.

Hinata didn't know how to respond.

Instead she felt something weird in her stomach. Her hand flew to her mouth as she dry retched. She muttered out a quick excuse me before rushing to the bathroom, vomiting out the little she ate that day. With rattling breaths she emptied her stomach, wiping her mouth with a wad of tissue. Hinata moved to the dust covered sink and looked at her pale reflection. She ran the tap for a little while before the water turned relatively clear, sputtering slightly, but enough to rinse her mouth.

She left the bathroom with a sigh, not expecting Sasuke to be leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, blushing lightly. "I don't know why that happened."

Sasuke looked at her through his black bangs, eyelids hanging heavily. He seemed to be thinking and looked as though we was going to speak but thought the better of it.

"We should probably get some sleep," he stated. "Early morning tomorrow."

They each took a separate room and the bed felt awfully lonely as she thought about Nauto's situation.

.

* * *

.

They almost made it out of the city where the car was waiting before another crumbling building alerted zombies of that area. The whole things didn't fall, just enough to block their path. Zombies streamed from the buildings and they pulled out their weapons, still bruised and tired from the day before.

Things were not going well.

They had to get out of there.

They even had to resort to pulling out their guns. They were good shots but they started to run low on ammo.

A zombie grabbed onto Hinata's leg and she swooped down, shoving her knife into its head. The growls from all around grew loud, her clothes were splattered with blood and dirt and she noticed Sasuke falter next to her. He hadn't moved from her side the entire time. She didn't know but he took Naruto's plea to heart.

_Protect her!_

The zombies started to grow too much; they were pushed to the wall. One lunged at Hinata and her foot slipped on the guts of the remains of another dead creature, her head violently hitting the brick behind her. Lights flashed in her eyes and her grip involuntarily loosened. She could feel the zombie clacking at her, vying at her neck and with a yell she pushed it away, only to have another one take its place.

Sasuke yanked, slicing off a head, and another, and another.

Hinata stabbed one in the skull and brought her foot up to remove the body but the weapon seemed to be stuck. Her eyes widened and she tried again as a walker loomed closer. She navigated the deadweight on her to block the enemy's path but things were getting too overwhelming.

She felt cold, dead fingers at her arm and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

This was it.

But Sasuke moved in, shielding her. The monster bit hard on his arm and finally,  _finally_ , Hinata was able to remove the other zombie jammed by her knife.

She moved swiftly, killing the zombie latched onto her friend.

Sasuke almost fell to his knees, but instead clutched his bleeding arm, leaning heavily against the wall.

"Wait," Hinata breathed, looking around. She was supposed to be good at this- Thinking fast on her feet, seeing things others didn't. There. "Can you move?" she said, swiping at more enemies. She reached over and pulled Sasuke's own gun from his waist, trying to make a clear path along the wall.

"Yes," he grunted. "Quick."

He understood what she was thinking. They moved just a couple of feet, close enough to break a window on the wall and climbed through, zombies waving their arms behind them.

"Run, Sasuke," she said, tugging at him. She knew this wasn't good. Far from it. But they needed to get away.

He followed her, his blood leaving a trail on the floor, and they passed a few more doors before the groans started to grow fainter.

"We need to do this quick," he spoke, breathing heavily.

She slowed down her pace and watched as Sasuke pulled out his katana, handing it to her.

"What-" Her eyes widened when she realized what he wanted her to do. "I c-can't-" she stuttered.

"If you want to save my life, you have to," he said emotionlessly, clenching his teeth in pain.

Hinata took the weapon from him, hands trembling. She had to do it. "Why did you do that for me?" she asked quietly.

"For both of you," he answered, preparing a chunk of cloth to stuff into his mouth. He'd rather not accidentally bite off his own tongue from the pain.

"Naruto?" she asked, remembering what her husband had shouted to his best friend.

"Well, yes," Sasuke said, glancing at her. His eyes moved down to her stomach. "As well as yourself and the baby."

Hinata looked confused. "Baby?"

Sasuke frowned at her. He didn't have time for questions. Or explanations. "Do it," he ordered.

Hinata bit her lip and swung.

.

* * *

.

Hinata desperately wished that it was Sakura here instead of herself. She'd be able to properly wrap up Sasukes…wound.

Wound?

She cut off his goddamn arm. It was much worse than a  _wound_. Hinata felt her stomach unsettle again at the thought. She'd been through so much, seen so many things, but now she'd started to get sick in this state.

 _In what state?_  She thought to herself, hands moving to her stomach.  _I can't be…_

She put the finishing touches on Sasuke's stump, relieved they made it back to the car but upset that Naruto and Sakura were no where to be seen. She started to clean up the makeshift wrappings she had to use in the field when the stench got to her and she scrambled over and puked.

She sat straight, exhaling slowly, not meeting Sasuke's eyes.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I don't," he replied, watching her carefully. "I am assuming." For a while Hinata didn't respond. "Is there any chance you could be?"

"No," Hinata responded immediately. "I mean…I don't know. I don't see how…We've always…" she blushed.

"That doesn't guarantee anything," Sasuke said, cleaning up the mess with his one hand. "And knowing him he wouldn't  _always_  be prepared."

Hinata's face flared red. She wasn't used to talking about this stuff. She hardly voiced these things with Naruto, no matter how much he insisted. "Usually," she admitted. "And we have spoken about it before…A baby."

"I'm sure he'd be happy."

Hinata swallowed hard. "If he's still ali-"

"They are," Sasuke said, voice suddenly cold.

Hinata looked at him sadly. Sasuke's wife was out there trying to survive as well.

"You're right."

.

* * *

.

Days passed and still no sign of their friends.

Hinata and Sasuke came to the conclusion that trying to drive to the site of separation would be a dumb idea. But if it was so hard for them to drive in, how would Naruto and Sakura make it to them? It took enough time for four people to try and clear the roads for one trip let alone do it again with only one and a half.

Sasuke said that and Hinata almost laughed. Sasuke? Joking? The world certainly must be going crazy.

They instead took the time to drive the car to the library, their previous safe haven and stock up on more planks taken from the wooden and steel shelving…just in case. Better not to go home empty handed. And they felt safer in the building than out in the open…though it also felt emptier and quieter without their louder halves.

.

* * *

.

More days passed and each passing day felt bleaker and bleaker.

Hinata found herself searching for any sign that indicated as to whether she was pregnant or not. Sasuke often found her curled up on a couch, book in one hand, the other resting on her stomach. There was the slightest bump, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure if the woman always had it or if it was indeed because of the child growing inside her. He didn't stare too long, he could imagine Naruto's piercing eyes shooting daggers at him for looking at his lover. He did stay close but fortunately things were quiet for them. Good, because he was still getting used to having only one arm and they had started to run out of painkillers.

"I'll go get more," Hinata started to say one day. "The pharmacy isn't too far off. I can go by foot-"

"No," Sasuke said.

Hinata frowned. "You're hurting."

"I'm fine."

"It's not hard," Hinata insisted, throwing a few things into her bag, and reloading her gun from fresh bullets stored in their car. "I'm quick and quiet. I'll avoid the dead the best I can."

"No," Sasuke repeated, eyes narrowed.

Hinata furrowed her brows. This reminded her of the fight between herself and Naruto and she felt herself get sad.  _Naruto_ …

"Sasuke, I'm not asking for permission…"

"I'll go get it myself," Sasuke said, getting to his feet.

"You're  _hurt_ ," Hinata said, surprised. "Now, honestly-"

"There's no need for you to go," Sasuke said, shouldering on his pack with a wince.

"Sasuke-"

"I promised Naruto I would protect you," he finally said.

Hinata looked at the man in front of her, tilting her head. She never understood what the ladies of Konoha saw in Sasuke but she could see some endearing qualities that he had. She exhaled softly and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke, I'll be back within a few hours."

"I can't convince you, can I?" Sasuke said, looking away.

Hinata smiled. "No."

Sasuke grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like just like Sakura.

"I'll be back," she said with a wave.

.

* * *

.

As she promised Sasuke she reached the pharmacy easily, navigating the rooftops. The zombies were indeed thick below but up here she could weave through the rare stragglers and rushed straight towards her target.

Leaving and making it back towards the library would be the hard part.

Peaking over the edge of the roof she saw dozens of zombies roaming the large open street. She quickly moved to the back, praying there would be another entrance. She breathed a sigh of relief when there was. Hinata leaped into the back alley and bent to pick the lock. She didn't want to cause too much commotion.

As soon as she was inside she headed towards the storage room. She grabbed some simple medicines like ibuprofen, and some weak opioids such as codeine. There was a point during her search where she thought she heard a gunshot far off in the distance. She tried not to get too distracted by it…or too hopeful. She moved to the stronger ones knowing Sasuke must really need it. He was strong and hid his pain well but having your arm cut off must  _not_  be easy. There was still space in her bag and she figured some antibiotics would be good to prevent infection. Satisfied with her haul she went to the back door only to hear a smash.

Instinctively she ducked down before leaning to look at the hall. She had locked the door behind her and no zombie would break a lock without any sort of indication that fresh meat waited inside. She was quiet, they wouldn't know.

She wanted to curse.

A single zombie she'd know she would be able to handle it easily.

But this was an outsider, no doubt wanting to raid the pharmacy as well. He entered, gun held up and she retreated, sneaking to the front.

What would be the better option? Zombies or this stranger?

"I think it's clear," the man shouted.

Hinata felt her heart beating fast. There was more than one. She heard rumbling, heavy, footsteps as more men raced inside.

"'Kay, we have to hurry," another deep voice said. "Biters are everywhere."

"Okay, just sweep the shelves," a different person said. "Take all you can."

Hinata snuck through the aisles, sneaking her way to the door.

Zombies, she decided. She wasn't sure how many people were in this group and at least zombies didn't carry guns.

"Where the condoms at?" she heard another man say, laughing gruffly.

"Ha," a man mocked. "He's acting like he gets laid."

"Shut up!"

The men snickered and Hinata was about to turn into another aisle when she saw a shadow move. Eyes widening, she inhaled sharply before wheeling backwards, pulling out her gun for precautionary measures.

She pressed herself against one of the shelves, waiting to see if one of the men would enter her aisles. She heard them creating a mess of the place, clearing shelves, dropping half the items on the floor.

She moved again, making it past another aisle, just barely going by unseen as a man walked down the aisle, his gun raised. She saw the light shining through the boarded windows and knew the front door was close. The team had entered that way previously so she knew it was unlocked. She just had to get there-

With a gasp Hinata felt herself pulled back by her hair.

She flailed, arms flying back, clawing at the hands clenched around her dark locks. It seemed someone grabbed her straight through the aisle shelving.

"Look what I got here!" the man holding on to her said. "A live one! A woman!"

She heard footsteps coming closer and she didn't hesitate.

She held her gun and pointed it somewhere behind her, hoping it would hit its mark.

A loud  _bang_  resonated through the store and she heard the man yelp in pain, cursing her out. But he let go of her hair and Hinata scrambled up, zigzagging towards the exit.

"Get her!"

She heard shots ring out but it seemed these men weren't that well trained. A bullet grazed her arm and she hissed in pain, not slowing in her run. She felt someone grab at her and sent another bullet back, missing completely since she wasn't looking but it was enough to scare one of the pursuers. She shot again, and again, fear taking over. She heard a man yell and someone collapse but she wouldn't stop.

She pushed through the door, the bells hanging above it jingling, and sunlight welcomed her.

Along with some very hungry zombies.

She had to get away from the men but she had to get through these dead creatures as well. Unsheathing her weapons from her wrists, she took out two easily as she ran across the street, just needing to lose herself from the men's line of sight.

A few more quick jabs and more zombies at her feet but she could hear the men shouting behind her, their shots ringing out, attracting even more dead.

"Come back here, bitch!"

"Get her alive!"

Hinata was  _scared_. Neither option looked good. She didn't know what the men wanted with her but she had a pretty good idea. She heard some horror stories from other people that went out on missions and had come across vicious strangers.

Some of the bullets aimed for her hit the dead that started to surround her, slowing them down if not killing them. Good, it helped her a bit. But that didn't change the fact that she was getting shot it.

"Dibs on the whore!" another voice called, cackling.

Hinata threw her arm back again and pressed the trigger. She heard a man scream and fall to the floor, rips and tears mixing with his yells as the dead ate him alive. She felt a twinge of guilt-

"I call her first!" another voice said. "I'm the one the found the condoms!"

And then she felt no remorse at all.

She went to shoot again only to realize her gun jammed. She cursed and shoved it in her thigh holster, killing the zombies in her way. The men's shooting slowed and stopped. They must have had to reload. For a moment there was brief relief from behind but she still had to swim through the waves of undead.

She heard footsteps getting closer as she worked on the zombies. It was unfair. It slowed her down, having to kill the monsters, but it left the men's path relatively open. She heard heavy breathing as someone yanked her from behind but she quickly sunk in her weapon into his stomach, using the strength of the pull for leverage. The man screamed, swinging his arms. His fist hit her in the shoulder and she fell the ground.

"You  _bitch!"_  one of his friends shouted. The zombies around her momentarily moved to the wounded man. She felt bile rise in her throat as the man was eaten right in front of her. "Fuck you!"

She scrambled to get on her feet, gravel embedding itself into the cuts on her hand.

"Grab her!"

A zombie fell on her before she was able to stand and she struggled to gain the upper hand. But another fell on top and she was trying to force back two at the same time. All the while the men's crude shouts and dirty words ran in her ears.

Her thought went to her stomach, to the child that might be growing inside her and how it might never get to see the world, as terrible as it was. How she would never be able to hold it and how much she wished Naruto was here.

She heard gunshots again and she figured the men had finished reloading. The two zombies atop of her fell limp and she pushed them off, wiping blood from her face. She was about to run again when she realized the shots kept coming but not from the men. They were scrambling, fighting against some zombies and running in her direction. But none were shooting…

The zombies around her fell, a clean hole forming through each of their heads.

"Come here, bitch!" one man yelled, making his way toward her. He moved passed his buddies fighting against the dead. "We'll take you back with us and we'll punish you good for putting us in this mess."

 _Bang_.

He was dead in an instant, his body crumpling to the ground.

Hinata followed the bullets line of fire, feeling safe for a moment as the zombies struggled to make their way over the other corpses.

She met his eyes and she felt like crying. To cry in relief and happiness. He was okay. He was okay!

Naruto stood on the rooftop, breathing heavily, not because he was tired, but because he was  _angry_. Him and Sakura had decided on a plan, to drive the car through the roads, with Naruto acting as a sniper, clearing the path as she drove. The alternative of clearing certain sections and closing them off took too long and they didn't want to wait any longer reuniting with their lovers.

They were in the very process of making progress through the city when the sound of bullets started to echo some distance down. It was when he heard the men yelling obscenities did he run from rooftop to rooftop, fearing the worst. He didn't know whom the men were yelling about but if it was Hinata-

And it was.

He was enraged.

He heard them curse at her as she struggled to get away. He pulled out both his guns as he saw a zombie fall on her- and then another. He didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger, relieving her of that obstacle. Then he took care to aim at the rest trying to take a bite out of her.

The men…he would get to the men.

How  _dare_  they threaten her? How  _dare_  they attack the woman he loved? They put her in danger and he could see the panic and terror on her face. She wasn't yelling but she looked like she was in pain, either emotionally or physically, he didn't know. He yearned to be down there with her, pull her into his arms and promise her safety.

And where the fuck was Sasuke?

He worried about the absence of his friend. He couldn't think of why Hinata would be out without him unless…

Naruto pushed that thought from his mind.

Right now he had to protect her.

He knew Sakura was okay. He only left her after making sure she would be able to drive through the couple of zombies in her path. If luck was on their side she should be driving up any time now.

Naruto was trembling in rage, his eyes were sharp and he felt like he could see all the details laid out before him. He let out shot after shot, reloading just as fast. The zombies fell one after another and he finally killed one of the men talking shit- saying things that made Naruto want to feed him to the zombies alive.

He saw Hinata's head turn and felt his heart flutter. She looked surprised and relieved. Her lips turned up a bit and he could see her mouth his name, hand moving to her heart.

He couldn't help but grin and give her a wink.

Then his eyes darted to another man making his way over to her.

"Let me get another feel of that soft ass hair of yours," he was saying, as he pushed a zombie aside, one shoulder bleeding profusely.

 _Another_?

When did he  _first_  touch her?

Hinata saw Naruto's smile twist into a frown, a furious one. She didn't even bother to turn and face the man behind her. She heard Naruto's shot ring out and a thump as the man fell dead.

She took this time to scramble up and took care of a couple other zombies as Naruto took down the rest of the men. She heard the hum of an engine and she looked up at Naruto, distress on her face. If it was more of the men-

"It's Sakura!" he shouted down at her, easing her of her tension.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the large, black, familiar car rumbled down the road, running down a few more dead. She saw the pink hair of the driver as she leaned over and popped open the passenger seat.

"Get in!"

They drove off towards the library as Naruto followed from the roof.

.

* * *

.

"Sasuke, I got the items," Hinata said as she entered the library, a large smile on her face. She had warned Sakura and Naruto what to expect but she was glad to surprise their black haired friend with the rest of the team.

"You're safe?" she heard his voice from somewhere in the building. "Good. I wouldn't hear the end of it from Naruto if something happened to you-"

"Damn right, you asshole," Naruto called, waving his fist as Sasuke came into view. There was a brief look of surprise on his face as his eyes roved the three people at the entrance, stopping on Sakura. "You may have lost an arm protecting her but damn, she was almost mauled by some sick bastards-"

"Naruto," Hinata said gently, resting her hand on his tense shoulder. She nodded towards the room, to allow the other couple some privacy. She knew he was just teasing his friend but right now they all needed to be alone.

.

* * *

.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked immediately as she shut the door behind them, his hands running along her arms, grazing the bumps and bruises, lingering on the bullet wound on her upper arm. He pulled out a first aid kit, spreading its contents on one of the desks. "Sakura can patch you up better later but I just need to-I just have to-" He let go of the bandages in his hands and covered his face, taking a shuddering breath.

"Naruto…" she said softly, walking up to him and bringing her hands up to cover his. "What's wrong?"

He held his position for a few moments longer and she could see him visibly trembling, When he finally slid his hands off his face she could see the tears in his eyes.

"I almost lost you," he croaked. "I  _did_  lose you." He let out a sob, not at all ashamed to let Hinata see him cry. "For  _days_  I didn't know where you were or what happened to you. What your situation was. If you were hurt or…"

"I'm okay," she said, wiping the tears from his face and feeling her own eyes get wet. "Naruto, please, please…"

He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, arms hanging at his sides.

And he cried.

"And then I really almost  _saw_  you die," he choked out. "Those men- those fucking bastards said all that shit-"

"They're dead now," she said comfortingly rubbing her hands up and down his back. "You saved me."

"He said he touched you."

Hinata's movements stopped. Now she was confused. "What?"

"He said he wanted to touch you again," Naruto forced out, his arms moving up to hold her. To finally take her into his own arms.

"They never touched me," she said, thinking back at what happened not so long ago.

"He said-"

"Oh," she remembered. "He grabbed me by my hair when they first spotted me. But that's it. I shot him and I ran."

Naruto pulled her into a tight hug, peppering kisses at any of the exposed skin he could see. "Thank god you're okay. Thank goodness." He kissed at her neck, her cheeks, her nose, her eyes that fluttered shut, and he soon captured her lips. They both tasted of sweat and dirt and tears but it didn't matter. He held her so hard it hurt a little but she needed this right now. She needed to feel this close to him. She needed to hear his heart beating to know he was  _here_. Alive.

That they were both finally together.

Both…

"Naruto…" she said slowly, as she allowed him to continue his affectionate touches. He was at her neck now and he hummed in response. "I have to tell you something important."

"Go ahead," he said, kissing at the large bruise forming on her shoulder from where one of the men punched her.

"Naruto…"

He stopped his ministrations for a second, looking her in the eyes. She looked a bit nervous. His eyebrows came together and he cocked his head to the side.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong…" she said slowly, biting her lip.

He knew her behaviors and habits. "Hinata," he said, almost chastising.

"Naruto," she said, her eyes meeting his. "I think…I think I'm pregnant."

She watched a look of shock cross his face as his blue eyes widened, sparkling in the dim lighting.

"What?"

She nodded, smiling nervously. "I think so…I did eat some weird food and I felt a bit funny too. Bigger, you know?" she was speaking quickly but everything she was saying in this moment burned itself into Naruto's memory. "I didn't realize I missed my period. I didn't think about it because, well, we were fighting a little and then immediately after we started prepping for this mission so it just never came up. And well, I threw up while you guys were gone, morning sickness maybe. I don't know. I'll ask Sakura later. Sasuke said he had an inclination as well-"

"Wait,  _Sasuke_  knows?" Naruto finally cut in.

Hinata nodded. "He said he's not sure but, oh Naruto, he really did his best to watch over me." She stopped, a pained look crossing her face.

"It's not your fault," Naruto said, knowing what she was thinking. He cupped her face, now his turn to wipe the falling tears. "Hey, listen. I guarantee neither Sasuke nor Sakura regret what happened."

"His  _arm_ -"

"He's strong. He'll handle it," Naruto insisted, kissing her softly. He embraced her again, standing together in the silence.

"He saved me."

"And you saved him, I'm sure."

Hinata picked at some dirt on Naruto's chest, her face lying against his heart. "He saved us both," she said, meaning their growing child.

Naruto pulled her back grinning, kissing her hard. "You make me so happy," he voiced. "So happy." He moved her to the couch, making his way between her legs, not breaking the kiss. "Thank you, thank you." He was careful to avoid her injuries and not be too hard with her. They were both covered in cuts and bruises but he finally heard some good news after  _days_  of terror and he wanted to celebrate-

"Remind me to thank Sasuke later."

Naruto pulled back from her, looking at her with narrowed eyes and a pout. "Can you not talk about him while we're about to-"

Hinata just giggled, pulling him into a well-deserved kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this didn't go as planned. (I mean I still really do like it. Had so much fun).
> 
> Seriously, I was going to write about how they got married and then had Boruto and Himawari and then how the family faced the zombie apocalypse together. With more problems and details of course, haha. But I also wanted to write about a mission together. I really like the thought of Hinata and Sasuke's friendship and wanted to explore that a bit and I'm happy with the way it turned out! Anyway, the whole mission lasted quite longer than I thought (this ended up over 11,000 words!) But that's okay, because this leaves it open for a Part III option, most likely featuring our favorite little Uzumaki's.


	18. One-Shot 14: Dreaming of AUs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto dreams of her. He grows to love her. Dreams are nice. Too bad reality is a nightmare.

_His blue eyes connected with her pale ones and he felt his chest grow warm._

_"Naruto-"_

Her voice was soft, just as he always remembered it. Soft and alluring, always calling to him whenever he shut his eyes.

_He was at her side in a second, pulling her body into his. "Are you okay? Is Boruto-"_

Boruto…there was that name again. It tugged at his heartstrings and he yearned to match the name with the face.

_"We're fine," she said, embracing him tightly. "We're okay."_

_"But the town-"_

_"We're okay," she insisted, pushing him away to meet their gazes. "Both of us." She moved out of the way so Naruto could take a look at the son he had not seen in over a year._

A year? It had to be more than that.

_"Boruto…" Naruto heard himself say softly, his voice choking up. "Look how big you've gotten."_

_The woman crouched down next to them, and he could feel her gaze on them as she watched them in awe. Naruto looked at the woman, his eyes twinkling. He wanted more than anything to pull her into his arms again, to kiss her deeply, to show her how much he missed her. There was a slightly pressure on his knee and he glanced down and noticed the child had made his way closer to him. He raised his arms and Naruto pulled him up, kissing him on the nose._

_"Hey kid," he mumbled. "Remember your dad?"_

.

* * *

.

Naruto shot up in bed, arms and legs tangled in his sheets. He was breathing heavily but felt oddly at ease. He glanced around the room, seeing a dark form at the foot of his bed. His pet.

Naruto let out a steady sigh. "That dream," he muttered to himself, running his fingers through his hair. "That woman…"

He didn't know who she was or why she dreamed of her but he did…and he did quite often.

It wasn't always like this. He had remembered her face from his dreams for a long time now. He couldn't pinpoint when he started imagining her and he sure as hell couldn't explain why. But they were just dreams and since when did dreams ever make sense?

Naruto rolled out of bed and made his way to the washroom, leaning heavily against his sink. He stared at himself in the mirror, tracing his odd whisker birthmarks and remembered-

.

* * *

.

_The child looked at his face in wonder, her dark hair reminding him of the woman in his dreams. Her eyes…it was as if looking in the mirror. She brought her little hands up to his ears, feeling the tips. "They not pointy like mommy. They round," she stated. "Like me."_

_"Yeah," Naruto said breathlessly, feeling tears gather in his eyes. "Like you."_

_The child poked at his cheeks. "I have lines too mister," she said. "Look." She waved her hands, trying to get him to bring his palm up. When he did she placed his large hand on her cheek, rubbing against him. "I like 'em," she said._

_He laughed. The girl was a little ray of sunshine. He nodded happily, feeling a tear escape._

_Himawari followed the trail of water and stared into his blue eyes. "You got brothers eyes," she said._

How he knew the name he didn't know. But he  _knew_. Himawari. His little flower.

 _Naruto broke. "_ You _also have your brothers eyes," he said, tears running freely down his cheeks. He hugged the child against him tightly, shutting his eyes, laughing._

_"Mom," Naruto heard Boruto talking in a whisper. "Why's that man crying?" There was a pause. "Why are you crying?" Boruto sounded frantic. Naruto snapped his eyes open and looked over at their mother and noticed she was wiping away tears she hadn't noticed were on her face, smiling happily._

_"Mom's just happy," she said._

.

* * *

.

The cold water from the faucet pulled him out of his reverie. Those were just  _dreams_ , he said to himself. But why did they feel like memories? Those kids…

Naruto groaned, shutting his eyes but the image of the woman's face wouldn't leave his head. And Boruto and Himawari.  _His_  kids.

Naruto took a handful of water and splashed it onto his face.

That's absolutely ridiculous. His  _kids_?

Hell, he was only in his twenties. He still had a long life ahead of him. He had a steady job that he loved working at the police department. He had a decently sized apartment, perfect for a single man like himself. And he had a few close friends that he absolutely loved. But he certainly did  _not_  have a wife and two kids.

Sometimes Naruto thought he was going crazy.

But the dreams weren't too frequent so he tended not to dwell on them. They were pleasant enough, if he was going to be honest to himself. When he dreamt of her, it was peaceful. At least they weren't nightmares. Not all the time.

There was a bark from behind him and he turned to look at his large dog, Kurama, standing at the door. He probably woke him. The dog barked again, making his way towards him.

Naruto sighed, rubbing his pet on the head.

"Let's go back to bed."

.

* * *

.

" _Kurama…" Naruto said with a hint of warning in his tone, getting up on his feet warily._

_The fox just huffed and came closer to the woman, dressed in a beautiful kimono, stopping right in front of her. She was seated, back pressed to a tree, and it looked as though Kurama was towering above her. He felt a twist in his gut. He trusted his companion but he also felt a tinge of worry for the dark haired woman. She swallowed and shut her eyes when Kurama leaned in for a sniff before opening his mouth and darting his tongue out._

_Her eyes shot open but the fox had already turned and headed back to his spot near the fire. Her eyes turned towards Naruto who was surprised but pleased. He sat down again, looking at her curiously._

_"I think he likes you."_

_She brought a hand up to her cheek. "Did he lick me?"_

_Naruto laughed. "Yeah."_

_Then out of nowhere Naruto heard water rushing towards them, crashing through the forest, tearing down trees. He watched, eyes wide in horror, as the waves engulfed the dark haired woman before towering over him. Time seemed to freeze for a second-then the liquid came falling down, soaking him- drenched-_

.

* * *

.

Naruto woke up to Kurama licking his face.

"Ugh, gross," Naruto said, laughing as he pushed his dog away.

Kurama just wagged his tail, spinning around in circles as he waited for his owner to get up. He barked a little in encouragement before bounding out of the room. Naruto listened to the pitter-patter of his claws clicking against his wooden floor before rolling out of bed. He walked over to the bathroom, wiping off his dogs saliva off his face. Quickly brushing his teeth he made his way over to the kitchen. Kurama was sitting patiently by the door, leash in his mouth.

"Not yet," Naruto said, ruffling his fur with a chuckle. "Don't you want breakfast?"

Kurama perked up at the words and with a bark the leash fell to the floor with a clatter.

.

* * *

.

_Her kimono had loosened, falling down to expose some of her shoulder and bare arm. He trailed his tongue down her porcelain skin, biting down._

_She gasped, flinching away._

_He was quick to apologize. He didn't know what came over him but she hushed him just as fast, biting his lower lip._

_God, her eyes. Her eyes, their beauty challenging the moon that shined above them, were half lidded, glazed with desire. For him._

_It made him burn._

_He pressed her body against hers, hip to hip, and stifled her moan of surprise with his lips, his hands trailing from her arms to her waist once more. Slowly he inched his fingers higher, past the scar he knew lay beneath this accursed clothing separating them, before gliding his thumb across the tip of the silk that covered her breasts._

_She hummed in appreciation, breathily saying his name._

_How he wanted to hear more of that._

.

* * *

.

The blaring of his alarm woke him.

With a heavy hand, he slammed the clock shut, wishing for just five more minutes of sleep. It had been a while since he dreamed about the woman again. He didn't even know how long but the things that transpired felt fresh. And the current dream was getting so good…

There was a bark and he felt something wet on his hand and opened his eyes blearily to see Kurama licking him, fluffy tail wagging behind him. This was a daily occurrence.

"I'm up, I'm up," Naruto said, shuffling to the kitchen. He prepared his pet a quick meal before seating himself down with a cup of coffee.

It was odd.

The events of his dreams didn't slip away like most would.

 _Most_  dreams were gone as soon as you woke up. And as time went on, they continued to trickle away until all that was left was a wisp of it. A wisp and different insertions and alterations your mind added itself, telling you it was real.

But these dreams?

They stayed.

They grew.

But he had no time to think about it anymore. Those were  _just_  dreams and he had to get to work before he was late.

.

* * *

.

_It was hell._

_Things were burning, there were craters scattered throughout the village. Amidst the screams he heard some laughter._

_He narrowed his eyes._

_More demons. People like him. There weren't many in the world_

_He growled._

_How dare they come to his village._

.

* * *

.

No. No. NO. NO.

_He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw her jump through the air, palms blazing, ready to take on a demon host much too strong for her._

_It all happened so quickly._

_She lay before him, still. Blood running from the cuts that littered her body. He had screamed his throat raw but she still kept trying._

_She kept getting up._ She kept getting up.

_Because she loved him, she had said._

_He closed his eyes._

_She kept getting up._

_And falling._

He wanted to call her name. Tell her to  _stop_. But he couldn't. What was her name? What was her  _name?_

_He heard the sound of metal against metal and looked up. His eyes met the other man's purple ones as he held his weapon dangerously above her immobile one. And then it came down and all Naruto saw was blood._

" _Out of love, sacrifice is born," the orange haired man said but all Naruto heard the was the sound of the rod impaling the woman's soft flesh over and over, echoing in his mind. All he saw was her blood soaking the ground. "Hate is born and we are able to know pain."_

_Sometimes when you go through hell the only escape is to walk deeper into the fire._

_Naruto_ burned _._

.

* * *

.

"Wake up!"

Naruto sat up, knocking over his mug, soaking his papers with dark liquid. Some of the hot coffee landed on his skin, burning him, and he cursed, grabbing a chunk of paper towels before throwing an angry glare at whoever woke him.

 _"Sakura!_ " He exclaimed.

She winced, helping him with the mess. "Sorry," she said. "But did you forget you're report is due today?"

Naruto shook his head, thanking her.

"What's with you lately?" she asked curiously as he finished arranging his things.

"What do you mean?" he asked before chugging his water bottle.

Sakura shrugged. "You've been acting a bit weird lately. Not that you haven't always been weird-"

Naruto laughed, giving her a teasing push. "Hey!"

Sakura grinned but turned serious once more. "But really, is something wrong?"

Naruto shook his head. "Just been having trouble sleeping," he said, but it felt like a lie. He fell asleep fine but it was his dreams that bothered him…

Sakura looked at him, head cocked to the side. "Do you want me to get you some sleep medicine? For a little while?"

"Nah," he said. "I appreciate the offer though." No longer wanting to talk about the subject at hand he looked at her with sharp eyes. "Hey, what're you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?" She smiled, an almost lecherous smile, and Naruto made a gagging sound. "Tell Sasuke to get his shit together. Almost got shot a few days back."

She nodded slowly. "Well, okay. But let me know if you need anything."

"Yeah," he said, with a firm pat on her shoulder. "I will."

If he was truthful to himself, he  _welcomed_  those dreams.

.

* * *

.

 _Naruto frowned at her. "Maybe you_ do _belong at the asylum." She looked at him, shocked and slightly hurt. He laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. "Because you're absolutely crazy if you think I'm ever going to leave you." She made a sound that was a cross between a sob and laughter. She clung to his shirt, burying her face in his chest. He pushed her back slightly to turn her face to his. "This might not be the best time to do something like this, but who knows if it's our only chance," Naruto said vaguely._

_"What?"_

_"Can I kiss you?" he asked, smiling cheekily._

_She couldn't help it. She laughed. "Yes," she said between giggles. "Yes!"_

_The kiss came with a seal of promises and a future._

.

* * *

.

Naruto woke with a smile on his face. His fingers moved to his lips and it felt as though he could still feel the pressure of her skin against his. He laughed sheepishly, a light red present on his cheeks.

But his smile transformed into a frown.

He didn't even know her name.

Naruto flung himself back down into his sheets, arms sprawled at the side. He stared up at his ceiling, feeling Kurama stir beside him.

"Who  _cares_  if I don't know her name!" he exclaimed out loud, earning a yelp from his pet.

Kurama nipped at Naruto's shoulder as punishment for waking him up. Naruto just rolled over and stared into the dogs eyes. He was a mixed breed with orange tinted fur and always did remind him of a fox. He ran his fingers through his fur, massaging him.

"I mean she  _is_  just a figment of my imagination, right?" he asked, blinking at his dog.

Kurama looked back at him with an empty stare before yawning, showing off his canines. He licked Naruto's nose before curling up again beside him.

.

* * *

.

He hadn't dreamed about her for a while now and it had started to make him antsy.

He  _did_  get amazing uninterrupted nights of sleep but his bed felt empty, even with Kurama there.

.

* * *

.

"Maybe you need to get a girlfriend," Sakura said as she leaned against her own boyfriend.

Naruto had gathered up the courage to tell his two best friends about the odd recurring dreams he kept having. He left out a couple of details but let them know about the dark haired, pale eyed beauty his mind couldn't get enough of.

"Shut up," Naruto said, tossing a throw pillow at the pink haired girl.

She ducked and it hit her boyfriend, Sasuke, square in the face. Naruto froze, as did Sakura, before bursting out into laughter at the unimpressed look on the mans face, stoic as usual.

"I'm serious, Naruto!" Sakura said, tossing the pillow back. Naruto caught it easily, throwing it behind him before lounging back down on the couch, beer bottle in hand. "Maybe you're lonely."

"I've had these dreams for a  _long_  time," he confessed. "While dating and not."

"Those poor girls," Sakura said, shaking her head. She laughed. "He dreamt of another the whole time."

Naruto groaned, regretting his confession.

"You guys are no help!"

But he laughed.

.

* * *

.

"Naruto _," she hissed under her breath. It was a warning. She was embarrassed and in no way did she want to be caught in this compromising position._

_Naruto grinned at her, circling his hips. "We're husband and wife," he said lowly, reaching up to pull her lips closer. She could feel their breaths intermingling. "What's so wrong about this?"_

_They kissed and she bit his lip slightly harder than he thought she would and he pulled back, surprised. She smiled at him, a sultry smile, and he knew she was playing with him too. It put fire in his veins and he held onto her hips again, searching her face for any sort of sign. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and he took it._

_She gasped into the curve of his neck as Naruto moved his hips, connecting over and over again. Her body moved on its own accord and he could see from the look on her face that she felt that oh so familiar pressure forming inside of her. A frustrating but pleasing feeling and he just wanted her to feel that release._

" _Naruto," she moaned, fingers gripping tightly against him._

" _Please," he heard her say and it wrung at his heart. He couldn't tease her any longer. She so lovingly called his name, held onto him so hard. He could hardly stifle his own moans of pleasure. He took the reign again, thrusting into her in a way he knew she liked. He could feel her walls clenching around him, hear her shuddering gasps, and he knew she was almost there._

" _I love you," he breathed against her. "I love you."_

_But he wasn't done. He moved even faster, unrelenting knowing she could take it. Now that she went over once she would easily be able to do it again. He took the tip of her breast in his mouth again, sucking, his fingers playing with her as his hips continued to thrust._

" _God, Naruto, I love you," she said, taking his lips with her own. It was bruising but sensual. He felt her fingers at his cheeks, tracing his whiskers, and just like that he felt her clench around him once more, her moan vibrating against his mouth and he followed in suit, holding her hips firmly against his, releasing-_

.

* * *

.

"Hinata!" he woke with a start, sitting up straight. His body was coated in a sheen layer of sweat as he panted heavily, head turning to his side. He expected to see her dark hair against her naked pale back shining against the moonlight as she slept beside him but instead saw no one.

Emptiness.

"Hinata…" he muttered to himself, pushing his sweaty hair from his face. That was her name.

He groaned, pushing away the blankets, careful not to nudge Kurama.

"Hinata…"

.

* * *

.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp fall air as he jogged alongside his dog. It was routine for them to go on these excursions and he enjoyed the time spent outside. He loved the feeling of the sun on his back and the breeze caressing his cheeks.

Naruto gave polite nods to some familiar faces passing by before slowing down to a steady walk as they entered the dog park, Kurama trotting right along beside him. He let his dog run towards a group of birds, scaring them away with his bark. Naruto chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he watched his dog run around.

He saw another large dog, white with some hints of brown, bound towards Kurama and grinned.

"What's up," he heard an expected voice approach him.

Naruto turned to see a shaggy haired young man with tattooed cheeks approach him.

"Kiba," Naruto greeted. "I haven't seen you in a while."

Naruto met this guy on his walks with Kurama. Kiba's own dog, Akamaru, got along swell with his own and they'd stop occasionally to have small conversations.

"Been busy," Kiba said, letting out a defeated sigh. "My friend has been having problems."

Naruto frowned, patting the man comfortingly on the back. "Ah, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, thanks man," Kiba said, watching their dogs play. "Don't mean to put you down this early in the morning."

"It's almost twelve," Naruto said bluntly.

Kiba laughed, throwing his head back. "Early for us, don't lie."

Naruto joined him, glad to see a smile on his acquaintances face.

.

* * *

.

_Naruto continued to watch students move across the dance floor. Speaking of Hinata…he still hadn't seen her or her date._

_Naruto cleared his throat. "So, um, do you know who she went with?" he asked._

_Sakura sighed dreamily. "Nope," Sakura said, clicking her tongue. "She seemed a bit hesitant about it."_

_"Think it's Kiba?" Naruto sneaked in._

_Sakura laughed out loud. "Kiba? No way, they're like siblings."_

_Naruto didn't know why but he felt a little relieved._

.

* * *

.

"You're looking for her?" Sasuke asked as Naruto walked into his home.

"Well not so much looking as just asking around," Naruto mumbled, heading straight towards his friends fridge.

"This is insane," Sasuke said brusquely.

Naruto snorted. "Don't you think I know that? But listen,  _you_  guys were there too," he said.

"That doesn't mean anything. Of course you dream about those close to you."

"Maybe she was close to me…"

"Do you know her?"

"No! Of course not, or else I wouldn't be looking for her."

Sasuke stared at his friend blankly. This didn't make sense. "She might just be someone you saw on the streets," he said. "And now your mind is just making up elaborate scenarios."

"But that means she  _exists_  right?" Naruto said, pulling out a container from Sasuke's' fridge. "I mean I heard you only dream about people you saw before. That your brain never really makes up faces. I don't know how true that is but still." He opened up the container and started munching on the contents inside.

"Those are several days old," Sasuke said.

Naruto sniffed the container. "That's why it's a little sour."

Sasuke grimaced, rolling his eyes.

.

* * *

.

" _Why?" Naruto finally croaked out, all his anger leaving him. He suddenly felt empty, like a breeze would be able to knock him to the ground. He felt weak._

_Sasuke saw that and his heated look simmered away. He wasn't ignorant. He could read his friends feelings well._

" _You don't under-"_

" _Don't tell me what I do and don't get, teme," Naruto snapped. "Tell me why you're marrying Hinata."_

_Sasuke was silent. Naruto bristled._

" _Do you love her?"_

_Sasuke paused before slowly moving his eyes to meet Naruto's. "No." His answer was firm._

_Naruto swallowed thickly, taking a shuddering breath. "Sasuke-"_

" _Naruto, she's my friend. I care about her." The blondes eyes sharpened and Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes. "But I don't love her. Not the love you are thinking."_

" _Feeling," Naruto whispered. "I_ feel _it. I don't_ think _it."_

" _She's a Hyuga and she's following the Hyuga rules," Sasuke continued. "They want her to marry someone strong. Someone up to her strength." he saw Naruto open his mouth. "I know you're strong, dobe. They are looking for someone that can take care of her, help her-"_

.

* * *

.

After learning her last name he had more hope that he would be able to find her. He tried not to relish on that fact too long. Even he knew this whole situation was a wild goose chase. But still, something sparked inside of him.

This whole time he had chanted the name  _Hinata Uzumaki_  in his head. It had a nice ring to it but Hinata Hyuga sounded just as nice.

.

* * *

.

"Hyuga?" Sakura asked, sipping on her coffee. She reached for a biscuit on the plate before her. They were at a small café, eating lunch together before having to return to their respective jobs. "Isn't that the name of that family owned multibillion dollar company?"

Naruto nodded, looking cheerful. He didn't care about the money he was just glad he had made some progress. So much time had passed since he first told his best friends about his dreams and it was interesting to see that so much from his mind seemed to mimic reality.

"And guess what," he said, leaning close. "Apparently the old man owner has a  _daughter_."

.

* * *

.

_His jacket was in tatters and he was pretty sure several bullets grazed his skin but he was so pumped full of adrenaline that he hardly felt a thing. His mind was trained on one thing and one thing only._

_He had to get Hinata._

_And he did._

_It took a while, plenty of dead enemies, but he finally found her in a room with one other man. By then Naruto had run out of bullets but he gladly used his fists. His knuckles bled and the other mans red blood soaked his arms, making his tattooed beast look more vicious than ever, as he punched him over and over and over again, yelling out obscenities, cursing him for trying to use Hinata against him._

_He felt soft hands on his shoulders and he froze. The man was dead long ago but seeing the red that soaked Hinata's clothes brought him to a cold fury._

_"Naruto…" she said softly, pulling him away from the corpse._

_He turned slowly, running his eyes down her entire form. "What did they do to you?" he asked, wiping his hands on his clothes before bringing them up to cup her cheek._

_"Nothing, I'm okay," she said, checking his injuries. "You're hurt."_

_"So are you."_

_She smiled tenderly. "I'm okay."_

_"There was blood all over the bed," he croaked out, his eyes shimmering._

_Hinata raised her eyebrows. "Oh, that's where they cut me on my shoulder," she said, pulling down the edge of her jacket. "It's not deep."_

_He fingered the holes in her coat. "They shot you?"_

_"Just grazed," she said. "Like you."_

_Naruto swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said, dropping his forehead into the crook of her shoulder. "I'm so sorry-"_

_"Why are you sorry?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly._

_"They took you to get back at me," he said, grabbing her waist tightly. "You could have_ died _."_

.

* * *

.

Naruto woke up with trembling hands, as if he had just finished beating up the man that dared threaten Hinata moments ago. He took shuddering breaths and grasped for the bottle of water on his bedside table, a relief for his parched mouth.

He was convinced that this girl existed and he  _had_  to find her.

.

* * *

.

"That's her," Naruto said, gaping at the magazine he held in his hands. It was an old one, from a few months back but he could recognize her anywhere. That was  _her_  on the cover with her father, announcing some hurdle her family was trying to surpass.

"Wow," Sakura said, peering over his shoulder. "She does fit your description."

"Yeah, because it's  _her_ ," he said, waving the paper as loose sheets fluttered to the ground, crumpling under his feet.

.

* * *

.

" _Boruto, pick up your toys!" Naruto shouted as he tiptoed over the various items scattered throughout the hallway. His young son came running in, jumping past his toys and rammed into his fathers feet._

_"Gotchu, daddy!" he exclaimed, wrapping his little arms and legs around his fathers calf._

_Naruto laughed. "Oh no! How am I to walk now?" Boruto buried his face into his pant leg and giggled. Naruto shuffled around a little bit before the child lost his grip and fell to the ground with a plop. Naruto smirked at his son and pointed at the toys. Boruto gave him an oh-so-innocent smile before gathering up his playthings._

_Naruto watched his son for a few seconds before continuing down the grand hallway until he reached the nursery. The walls were decorated with countless photographs. The smiling faces of his friends and families blessed the house he lived in. The door was already open and he leaned against the frame, taking in the view with a tender smile. Hinata was rocking their newborn daughter in her arms, whispering tender words into her ear. She kissed Himawari on the forehead before gently settling her into her crib._

_"Is anything wrong, Naruto?" Hinata asked quietly before turning to face him._

" _No, everything's absolutely perfect," he whispered in her ear, careful not to wake their sleeping baby, while running his hands up and down her arms._

.

* * *

.

"I haven't dreamt about them in a while," Naruto said as the three waited for their respective lunch orders to arrive.

"Them?" Sasuke asked.

"Hinata and our kids."

" _Kids_?" Sakura exclaimed, looking both worried and excited. "Were they cute?"

"Sakura-" Sasuke inserted, looking at her sharply. He wasn't too fond of Naruto's behavior for the past few months.

"Damn cute," Naruto said, nodding proudly. "The older boy looked a lot like me but I think he had a lot of his mom's features. But the daughter? Adorable! She was like a perfect mix of me and Hinata."

Sakura frowned as well now. "You do realize they aren't real right?"

Naruto waved them away. "Of course. I'm not crazy."

But if Hinata existed the kids lives could be a possibility.

Right?

.

* * *

.

"I'm sorry you can't meet with the head of the company without an appointment," the lady at the desk said.

"I'm not asking to meet with him I'm asking to meet with-"

"Why do you want to see Hinata?" This was a deeper voice.

Naruto peered over the mousy looking secretary to see a brown haired man standing with arms crossed. His eyes reminded him strikingly of those he kept seeing in his dreams.

"I…I'm her friend," he said.

The man narrowed his eyes. "I know all of her friends, and you are not one of them."

 _Fuck_ , Naruto thought. Now he messed up.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

.

* * *

.

Naruto was not known for giving up.

Not in this life and definitely not in his dreams.

.

* * *

.

"Oh, hello again Mr. Uzumaki," the secretary said in a bored voice. She was used to seeing the young man and often just immediately called security. But today was going by slow and she figured she could use some entertainment. "How may I help you?"

But she knew what he would ask.  _Who_  he would ask for.

"I want to see Hinata Hyuga," he said.

She looked at him sadly. Oh his poor, warped mind.

"I'm sorry, that's not possible," she said, completely professional.

Naruto groaned, dropping his head into his arms as they rested against the high counter.

"You're back," came the now familiar voice.

Naruto looked up, his blue eyes meeting the brown haired mans pale ones.

"Neji," Naruto said, looking relieved. He had remembered the mans name in one of his dreams. Sadly he died…in most of those dreams. He looked tired. "Are you okay?"

Neji frowned. "I don't know why you presume to know me."

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'd tell you why but you'd think it was crazy."

"I'm sure I would."

.

* * *

.

" _You avoided me all day at work," he heard a feminine voice from behind him. He heard her approach and decided to let her come to him tonight._

_"I needed some time to think, Hinata," he said, turning to look at the hooded figure._

_She fidgeted. "Anyone could be listening."_

_"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, pain in his voice. "Didn't you trust me?"_

" _Naruto, I trust you with my life."_

.

* * *

.

"What's your name?" the man finally asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

He watched his eyes widen and the breath seemed to catch in his throat. "What?"

"Naruto," he repeated. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Neji's mouth was a thin line as he stared at the bumbling blonde before him. "Is this some joke?"

"What?" Naruto asked, now completely confused. "I'm not-that's my name."

Neji marched towards Naruto, fury apparent in his eyes, He grabbed Naruto by the collar and shook him threateningly. "I don't know what tabloids you've been reading but-"

"Neji!" a sharp voice sounded.

Naruto felt Neji's grip loosen and he looked over his shoulder to see a young girl, with hair and eyes similar to the man thirsty for his blood standing with arms crossed.

"Put him down, Neji," she said with a surprising amount of authority from someone so little. "There was nothing about… _that_  in the news."

Neji released his hold and turned towards the girl. "I apologize. I just…"

She nodded. "I know. It's hard."

Naruto had just about enough. "I don't understand," he said. "News? Who are  _you_?" he asked the girl.

She looked surprised. "My name is Hanabi Hyuga. I'm Hiashi Hyuga's daughter."

.

* * *

.

Ah, he remembered now.

He dreamt about her once too.

He went on a rescue mission with Hinata and a couple other friends to save Hinata's sister from some guy on the moon.

That's when he learned he loved her.

.

* * *

.

He learned that day that Hiashi Hyuga indeed only had one daughter. And her name was Hanabi.

There was a point where he had two.

But sickness got hold of one. They say she spiraled into insanity. Maybe it was the heat from the fever destroying her brain. Hiashi visited her often but there was nothing to be done.

Death took his eldest.

Hinata Hyuga.

.

* * *

.

"Near the end she would tell me these stories," Hanabi had said. "These grand stories of love and romance. There was fighting and drama and sometimes they were sad. Mostly they were happy. Stories of heroes and villains. Growing up and learning. But they always had one man. Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto felt empty. Even at that revelation. That Hinata had dreamt about him too.

What did that mean?

Were those dreams…no they couldn't be  _real_.

But what  _was_  real was Hinata Hyuga was no more.

Perhaps those dreams were them in a past life. In another universe.

But he just found out the girl of his dreams, the love of his life, was already  _dead_.

He was too late.

.

* * *

.

Was it sad that he'd rather live out his life in his dreams now? When his dreams were more tempting and alluring than reality?

.

* * *

.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto said, smiling somberly. "I'd like to take up your offer on those sleeping pills now."

.

* * *

.

...

He never woke up.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember most, if not all, of those dreams had a happy ending even if this one did not. I hope you all enjoyed Naruto's slow descent into insanity.
> 
> -Magma
> 
> P.S. If this seemed a little bit all over the place then good! I'm glad. Dreams are not set in stone. They jump from one thing to the next and I wanted my one-shot to do something similar.
> 
> P.P.S. This idea just came to me and I had to write it down. As I was finishing it up I realized this could be a sister piece to the Asylum AU I wrote long ago. (Not saying it is…but…it's a possibility. Naruto's side of the story. Of what he thinks is real). I do try to throw in some continuity when it comes to my different AUs but whether or not they are truly connected is up to you. Also, the dreams were all from previous AUs (though I edited some here and there). Anyway, it's quick and short compared to my usual work but I really do like the concept. I hope you guys did too.


	19. One-Shot 15: Arranged Marriage AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They would both do their duties. And surprisingly this would be a change they would full heartedly accept.

"I have been eagerly awaiting the day I could finally meet you…and I am not disappointed. You are beautiful."

That's what Hinata thought she would hear after years of pondering whom she was getting married to. Her parents had told her at a very young age that she was betrothed to someone: a lord of Konoha, next in line to rule the lands.

She was okay with it.

That was how she was raised and that was how everyone in her family found their loves.

Of course she had read stories of princesses and princes'. Of fighting dragons and winning hearts. She had hoped she would have her own love story.

So since she was a child she dreamed of her prince. She never had a face in mind but it was always kind and smiling. He would sweep her away to a beautiful land, similar to that of the Hyuga estate. He would make her laugh and they would spend time together walking through the flowers.

She never thought he would say something like, "It's crazy, isn't it? Two complete strangers who know nothing about each other being brought together like this."

He had bright yellow hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She was constantly surrounded by pale, white, pupil less Hyuga eyes and his were wonderful to look at. His smile shined and he wore a red doublet studded with golden fox heads, and a deep orange wool and black leather, emphasizing his broad chest and strong shoulders. A sword was strapped to his side, the scabbard engraved with patterns she couldn't make out but the hilt of the sword another fox. He was new to the throne, but he had a long lineage behind him. A legacy. She believed he would be able to play the part. He had the stature of a king.

He was rather pleasant to look at, Hinata thought with a blush, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was a fairly unladylike thought; her father would disapprove. His words were brusquer than she was used to. Emotion was laced into every word and he spoke his mind, regardless of courtesies and what others thought. That was not to say he was rude, quite the contrary. He was very sweet and took her gently by the arm as they took their first walk together.

The weather was lovely. The sun shone high above, beautiful wispy white clouds provided some shade as they strolled the Hyuga garden. A gentle breeze lifted her dark hair, brushing against her face, lifting the hem of her elegant lilac dress from the ground. She wore one of the best dresses her seamstress could make. Her younger sister Hanabi had told her she had to make a wonderful first impression.

.

_"But why?" she had asked. "We are already engaged to be married."_

_Hanabi had rolled her eyes, lounging on her bed in her dirty leather clothes she enjoyed to practice swordsmanship in. Her father didn't exactly approve of their choice in pastime activity but he didn't say no either as long as they also learned their needlework and other things he believed appropriate for ladies of their stature._

_"_ Because _," Hanabi said. "You still want him to_ like _you."_

.

"These flowers are beautiful," her betrothed spoke, brushing his calloused fingers against the petals of some roses. She noticed with watchful eyes that his touch was gentle, as if not to harm the plants. The thought brought a smile to her face. "Of course," he continued, turning his gaze to her. "They're no match for your beauty, my lady."

Hinata felt her face go red and looked away, grateful for her long hair to conceal her from view. "That is very sweet, my lord," she said, meaning every word.

"Why do you hide?"

"I'm…" She didn't know how to answer that. How could she tell him that he seemed to fit all of the qualities she thought her prince should have as a child? How could she tell him that just his gaze on her brought rogue to her cheeks? "I-"

"Are you scared? Don't be. I'll protect you from today onwards."

Hinata turned to look at him, eyes wide. He completely misunderstood but his words made her heart flutter. His mouth was straight and his eyes serious. It was a vow, she realized. He would protect her.

"You are my betrothed," he continued. "And I wish for you to feel as much at ease as my mother did with my father. And as much love for me as I can make you feel."

He was so straightforward. So honest. She realized she would have to adjust to this change once she moved to live with him. But she wanted it. This would be a change she would full heartedly accept.

"I look forward to getting to know you better," was all she could say.

He smiled.

.

* * *

.

They were married soon after.

Waiting was not something that was simply done in their age. People wed young, had children young, and died young. That was simply the way things were. War, famine, and disease were well known around these parts so waiting meant wasted time.

Naruto spent some time at the Hyuga estate. But it was decided that the wedding would take place in the grand city of Konoha, in his castle. They were able to get to know each other a little more and she found herself more at ease speaking with him now.

"I'm sorry to hear about your godfather," she said one day as they were riding their horses out through a small forest. Their corresponding guards trailed a respectable distance away, allowing them some semblance of privacy. Naruto came to the Hyuga castle with a few knights, a couple servants, and his large fox companion, Kurama. The fox ran around with them, trying to catch the birds flying about.

"Ah, he was a perverted old man," he said, laughing to himself. "But he taught me a lot and I loved him."

"He…taught you a lot?" she asked almost hesitantly.

He looked at her, wondering why she was so cautious. "Oh! Nothing crass," he said with a chuckle. "He helped train me. Improved my fighting. Showed me how to lead a nation."

"I believe you're a fine king," she said as their horses trotted over stones, moving through the trees.

Naruto smiled. "My mother used to tell me a king was nothing without his queen."

Hinata blushed prettily, running her fingers through her horse's mane. "Your mother sounds like a smart woman."

Naruto guffawed. "She's certainly right. I imagine you would be wonderful when it comes to negotiating with the different lords of the lands."

"I would love to be of any help, your grace. My father taught me how to speak with those of power."

"Your grace?" Naruto said, smiling tenderly at her as the trees opened out into an open field. Kurama zipped in and out of view, birds flying away in flocks. "I would hope we've become acquainted enough that you would be comfortable calling me by my name."

"That wouldn't be proper," Hinata said, hand to her mouth. "You are the king now. I couldn't."

"Would you like me to call you my lady even when we are husband and wife?" he questioned.

"I…I'm not sure."

"It would please me if you called me Naruto," he said. "But I would understand if you wanted to wait."

She nodded. "Perhaps…after we are wed," she said softly, a light pink on her cheeks. Even after knowing and getting to know her betrothed she still felt giddy at the thought of marrying him. And to marry a  _king_. The prince of her dreams ended up being better than she had ever dared dream. He was all she imagined and more. "It would seem discourteous to address you otherwise, your grace. But I look forward to being your wife…Naruto."

"And I your husband, Hinata."

.

* * *

.

"Hinata, wake up."

In her sleep the princess shifted, stretching and yawning, finding comfort in her bed.

The mysterious figure lurking by her bed huffed and nudged the sleeping beauty once more. "Hinataaaaa, wake up."

The young woman stirred, blearily opening her eyes, seeing a shadow standing above her. She reacted, sitting up straight, her head connecting with the blur.

"Ow! Hinata!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hanabi," Hinata said, quickly slipping out of bed, taking her sisters chin in her hand. "I didn't mean to," she apologized. "What are you doing in my room at this time anyway?" She looked out at the window. The sun had yet to fully rise; the sky was tinted a dark orange.

"Let's go to the yard," Hanabi said, pushing her older sister's hand away.

That's when Hinata noticed her sisters clothing. She was dressed in her training gear, dark leathers and pants. Hinata sighed. Sometimes she wondered whether she was blessed with a little brother.

"We can't," Hinata said. "We have guests. The King and his people-"

"That's why I woke you up  _early_ ," Hanabi said, rolling her eyes. She took her sisters hand in hers. "Oh please, Hinata. We won't have that much time together.  _Please_."

Hinata looked into her sister's eyes. They reminded her of her late mother. Those eyes pleaded with her, her lower lip trembling. It was all a façade and she knew that well but she couldn't say no.

"You're terrible, you know," Hinata said.

Hanabi grinned. "Brother is waiting."

.

* * *

.

Naruto woke to the sound of swords.

He groaned, using his arm to shield his eyes from the sunlight streaming in through the curtains. He listened to the chirping of birds outside, the barks from stray dogs begging for meat, the hustle and bustle of the Hyuga and others going about their business but mostly he listened to the clashing of metal against metal.

The Hyuga were known for their fighting skills along with their eyes. Magic was not taken lightly in their lands and the Hyuga had some in their blood. Naruto had a teacher once who liked to dip his toe into magic so he was no stranger to it. He had yet to see his soon-to-be-wife make use of her clan's bloodline. They weren't the only ones with hints of magic. He had a friend part of the now almost extinct Uchiha clan. They lost their lands and he was alone. The dragons had died off long ago but rumors spread of dragon eggs being found. He paid them no mind. Dragons were of no big concern to him. But he was the king of a great land, and old land. And he took pride in it.

"Your grace."

Naruto sighed. "I'm up," he said, rolling himself out of bed. His servant waited at the door before gesturing others to join him. They took care dressing him, putting on fine leathers, touches of gold, and his treasured weapon on him, fit for a king.

"Who's already out training?" he asked, striding towards the window. He enjoyed fighting. Practicing his skills was a good way to work off the stress he felt from his newfound position. And he simply enjoyed improving in the art, more than happy to put his teachers words to the test.

"I'm unsure, your grace," a servant said, bowing to him before letting himself out.

"The Hyuga will be waiting for you to break their fast," another said.

"I understand," he replied. "I won't keep them waiting long." His thought went briefly to Hinata. He found himself looking forward to seeing her after a night alone. He didn't know much about love but he could see himself living beside her.

He pushed apart the heavy curtains some more and took a look outside. Two figures fought below, both with long hair, characteristic of a Hyuga. He watched, curious to see their fighting style. They moved fast and he noticed the brown haired fighter had put his Byakugan to use. Naruto leaned forward, watching as they used thinner swords than he was used to, to strike, parry-

They were agile and quick on their feet, he had to give them that. The darker haired one was smaller and the brown haired man seemed to be shouting instructions. Naruto noticed Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi, was at the side, laughing and jesting. A smile formed on his face. He took a liking to the little one. She was oddly outspoken for Hyuga standards but he enjoyed their playful squabbles.

The fighters moved and he watched the smaller one roll and hopped nimbly to her feet-

Wait.

 _Her_?

There was no mistaking it. He couldn't forget her face.

"Hinata?" he whispered under his breath, watching the fight with a newfound interest. He watched his betrothed move through the air, the veins around her eyes buldging just as the person fighting against her was. He was told it helped them pinpoint where to strike and helped enhance their sight.

He didn't know how long he stood their watching in awe as his bride-to-be fought under the sun. His fingers itched towards his own sword, not in a menacing way, but simply to join in on the fun.

He smiled. He certainly wanted to know more about her.

.

* * *

.

"I apologize if I kept you waiting," Hinata said, walking in to the large dining quarter with a bow.

She looked beautiful. She wore a dark satin and silver jewelry, parts of her hair braided with small flowers. Orange, he noted to himself, a smile tugging at his lips. It seemed either she herself or her maidservants were either aware of his favorite color or she unknowingly knew how to appeal to him. If he hadn't seen her fighting himself, he wouldn't have believed she had been wearing breeches and brown leather, covered in sweat and dirt less than an hour ago.

"It's no concern, my lady," Naruto answered, standing up himself. He walked over to her, offering her his arm, which she took with a gentle smile. "You are quite flexible," he said.

He noticed her cheeks go red. "My lord?"

"Ah, I don't mean…" he scratched his cheek, only just realizing the insinuation. He was relieved that most others already had their food and left the room, leaving just him and Hinata. "I mean, I saw you outside," he said as she took her seat.

"Oh," she said, covering her face.

 _She was ashamed?_ Naruto was confused.

"I realize most women don't dilly dally with swords, your grace," she said, speaking quickly. "I was just-"

"Hinata," he said, stopping her with a gently grasp of her hand.

"If it displeases you…"

"What would displease me was if you stopped doing something you enjoy," he said.

He was smiling, she noticed, breathing easy now.  _That Hanabi! If only she hadn't_ -

"It was a wonderful sight," he admitted. "I'm a little jealous of your abilities," he said, chuckling.

"You're teasing me," she said, smiling softly.

Naruto laughed loudly. "No, I'm serious. You're light on your feet in ways I could only hope to be."

"We could train together," she said before she could stop herself.

"You read my mind, my lady."

.

* * *

.

The day of their wedding arrived faster than they thought and, if they were truthful with themselves, slower than they'd hoped.

But they days coming up to it he found her one night.

"Your grace," Hinata said, looking surprised as Naruto seemed to sneak into her chambers. "I'm not decent." She was wearing her sleeping gown, a thin silk, perfect for the warm summer nights.

Naruto had the decency to blush and look away as she grabbed a robe hanging from the back of a plush armchair. "I'm sorry, I had to see you," he said, staring at the moon through the window.

"How did you…?"

"It was easy to sneak past some of your guards, my lady," he said, returning his gaze to her. "That'll be something I will have to change soon enough. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

She bowed, thanking him.

"Please," he said, approaching her. "You don't have to be so…polite all the time." He couldn't think of a better word and he winced at how he sounded. "I don't mean to tell you what to do…I just…I'm to be your husband not your boss." He chuckled nervously.

She tilted her head. "You are also my king."

Naruto exhaled, running his fingers through his hair. "Mm, Hinata…do you…want this?"

"Want this?" She watched him. She had rarely seen him so flustered. "Your gr- I mean- Naruto? Is everything alright?"

His eyes seemed to sharpen when she said his name. He stared at her, taking in her entire being. His gaze was strong and she felt a warmth in her body as their eyes met.

"Do you want to be my wife?" he finally asked.

She felt as if the flame inside her was extinguished.  _Did he not want…?_ "Are you not happy with this arrangement? Do you not wish to marry me?" she asked, her voice sounding hollow.

Naruto shook his head furiously. "I do. I  _do_. I'm pleasantly surprised at myself with how much I actually want it," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I only worry for you…I know many times that even if a relationship is wanted by the family, your heart may belong to someone else."

Hinata stared at her betrothed, not realizing she was holding her breath. "I've loved the thought of you since I knew what it meant," she confessed.

Naruto looked frozen but then his characteristic smile warmed up his face. "I'm glad, he said, laughing softly. "I'm so glad."

Hinata giggled, moving her hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear but she felt his large hand envelope her own. His facial expression was soft as he pushed the hair back, fingers grazing against her skin.

"I know it's already been arranged, but let me do this properly. Hinata…will you marry me?"

.

* * *

.

The entire city celebrated with them.

Candles were lit in windowsills, the castle was bright with lights shining through the darkness, gleeful laughter echoed through the halls as people danced, ate, and drank the night away.

Naruto sat beside his now  _wife_  at the front of the hall on large, gilded chairs, enjoying the festivities below. Food was passed around and he was sure to cut her the best pieces of meat, give the warmest chunks of bread, and the sweetest glasses of wine.

"Your grace, you spoil me," Hinata said, laughing as held out a platter filled with different cheeses.

"Of course," he exclaimed, his smile brighter than all the fireplaces around the hall. "I may not look like it, but I will take care of you."

His words were so sincere, so full of hope; she couldn't help but lean in towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt him relax. He nudged a passerby and handed over the plate so he could use his free hands to take her own.

"Are you tired, my lady?"

"Not at all. Just satisfied," she said gently, meeting his gaze. She was proud of her own courage and glad she had gotten so comfortable around him. Though she knew what was to happen tonight once they went to their new-shared room. She felt like a child again, nervous and scared of the unknown.

Naruto looked at her and opened his mouth to say something when someone called out to them from the crowd.

" _Just_  satisfied, my queen?" the voice said, sounding slurred. "The king will make sure you're  _very_  satisfied tonight!"

Laughter erupted in the halls and Hinata felt herself go red. She tore herself away from her husband and sat back in her chair, almost wishing she could dissolve back into it. She could feel Naruto's gaze on her but she avoided his azure eyes and instead chose to stare at a spot on the back wall. She had yet to get used to Konoha's style of banter. The Hyuga didn't have that big of a sense of humor.

"Our queen is shy," someone said.

More laughter.

Hinata sat up tall, though she could feel her face burning. She would allow the people to jest. They were happy and drunk and fat on rich meats and creamy cheeses and this was a time for fun and festivities. She would not cower down and hide her face.

"Our king will have fun coaxing her out of her shell tonight!"

The hall filled with cheers and guffaws. People stomped their feet and she looked at all of the beaming faces.

"You may be married through words," another voice said amidst all the yelling. "But you must consummate the marriage! Warm up your wedding bed-"

"That's enough," Naruto spoke loudly, staring out into the crowd intently. He was not oblivious to Hinata's growing anxiety and he wanted her to get comfortable on her own time. The quips from the crowd were expected but even he could see the Hyuga sitting quietly amongst the rest of them. Except Hanabi, he had noticed. Her grin stretched ear to ear.

"You will address your queen with respect," Naruto continued, eyes roving the packed room slowly. "I will not-"

He felt something soft brush against the top of his hand and he turned to lock eyes with his wife. A light pink still stained her cheeks but she looked resolute.

"It's all right, your grace," she said softly, squeezing his hand.

"It is about time the new couple made their exist anyhow," another voice said.

Naruto nodded, still looking at his wife.

He took a deep breath and then stood, turning to address the crowd. He thanked them for attending this special day and urged them to stay, to continue to eat and celebrate on their behalf.

Naruto held out a hand, which Hinata took happily, standing to her feet. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "We have a tradition of carrying our wife to the room," he said.

"If it please you, your grace," she said.

He smiled. "It would please me greatly."

In one swift movement he swept her off her feet and held her in his arms. The raucous cheers in the hall got louder as Naruto took his first few steps down the stairs, the crowd parting around him. At first Hinata looked at the happy faces around her, reddened with drink, greased with oil from roasted chicken and suckled pig, but she felt more at ease staring up at her husbands face. His strong jaw, beaming smile, and twinkling eyes reflecting the fires around the room as he made his way through the crowd.

As soon as the heavy doors shut behind them, slightly muffling the laughter, Hinata spoke.

"Are you really going to carry me all the way to our bedroom?"

"That was the plan, my lady," he said, glancing down at her with a tender smile. "Do you object?"

"I…no, but won't you tire?"

He laughed. "I'm not sure if you've played with swords not made for Hyuga," he said, thinking of the thin but swift blade he saw her using. His shoes clicked against the clean tiled floors as he followed the path to their room. "But a sword, along with the chainmail and armor and occasionally a shield are heavy. If you think you're a burden, you are not," he said. "And if you were, you'd be a burden I'd be more than happy to carry."

Hinata gave him a small smile. "You have quite the way with words, your grace."

Naruto chuckled. "I've been told my words are my greatest weapon."

.

* * *

.

Love would come later.

That's what they told her when she was going to get married.

Do your duty. Join the two kingdoms. Give the king a son.

And suddenly she was scared.

He must have noticed the look on her face, the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes as she sat on the bed, trembling in her wedding silks.

"Oh no, Hinata," he said, speaking her name for the first time tonight. The bed creaked under his weight as he stared at her face, lifting his hand to rub away the tears with a thumb. "No…"

"I'm sorry," she said, taking a shuddering inhale. "I don't know why-"

He sat back, his face a strange mixture of sadness and worry. "You don't have to worry," he said. "I won't touch you." He was confused by the surprised expression on her face. "Is that not what you want?"

She shook her head, taking his hand in her own, running the tips of her fingers down his, feeling his strong calloused hand. She moved his hand up to her cheek, closing her eyes. "I  _do_  want you to touch me," she admitted, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "I'm just nervous."

Naruto touched her lightly, sliding his fingers up into her hair, playing with her dark tresses. "Beautiful," he murmured. Hinata felt a warmth in his tone- a tenderness that made her smile. He returned his hand to her face, using a finger to direct her head upwards so their eyes met. She felt as though he towered above her.

When he pulled his hand back she yearned for his touch. She watched him remove the open circlet on his head, studded with jewels, a crown fit for a king. His fingers moved to the buttons on his clothing, one by one. After a moment Hinata leaned forward to help. His clothing fell off him heavily, leaving his torso bare and she couldn't help but stare. He had a few scars, expected from years of training. She traced them and felt his muscles tighten underneath. She pulled back, realizing what she was doing.

He watched her silently the entire time, allowing her to grow comfortable, and smiled when she drew back. But he leaned in towards her, watching her face as he took his turn to undress her. She put up no resistance and shrugged off the smooth velvet from her shoulders. His fingers were nimble and caring. He removed the silky layers one by one and Hinata sat, unmoving, staring at his eyes.

It was only when he bared her breasts did her timid nature return and she averted her gaze and covered herself with her hands.

Naruto's hands were gentle but firm. He grasped her own and gradually moved her hands away. Then he lifted her face again to make her look at him. "Please don't hide from me," he said, his voice deep. She looked into his eyes, a stormy blue and she  _trusted_  him.

She slid from the bed and he followed, pulling her close as he removed the last of her silks, letting them fall to the floor. She shivered as she felt his gaze on her. He took in her body with his eyes and then…he started to touch her.

His fingers were deft and light at first. She could feel the strength in his hands but never did he hurt her. He started with her hands, as she did with him moments ago. He kissed each finger before allowing his hand to run gently down her face. He admired each and part of her body, stroked her face, traced the curves of her back, and ran a finger around her mouth.

That's when she realized she hadn't even kissed him.

But this was how it was.

It seemed like hours passed when his hands finally moved to her breasts. At first he stroked the skin underneath and she felt gooseflesh cover her arms. He began to circle her nipples; lightly played with her until her they stiffened and she began to ache.

"Naruto…" She couldn't stop the moan that slipped out and she blushed pink.

That was when he stopped and pulled her to his lap.

Hinata was flushed and breathless and she could feel her heart beating fast in her chest. He felt him pressing against her and rather than shy away it filled her with yearning and pride. That  _she_  made him feel this way. That he felt this way about  _her_. She felt his large hands cup her face and she felt safe. She looked into his eyes, filled with desire but he waited.

It was a question.

She took his hand and drew it down towards the wetness and heat between her thighs. "Yes," she whispered, brushing her lips against his softly- barely grazing. "Yes," she answered as she put his finger inside her.

.

* * *

.

The Kingdom of the Leaf had the courtesy to patron a few lords and ladies of a neighboring land as they passed through to get to their destination. Naruto ordered for a feast to be served as the castle prepared for their guests. Chickens and goats were slaughtered, wines pulled from the cellars, fruit picked from the trees.

Hinata was chatting amiably with one of the ladies as she walked around the room. She saw Naruto laughing with a few men, waving his arms as he told them some story. She continued making her way through the hall, speaking briefly with people as they bowed. She always knew how it felt to be a princess but even after these weeks of marriage she had yet to grow used to being treated as a queen.

"My lady."

Hinata turned to see a tall man bow before her. He wore gold, lots of it, as if trying to present his wealth to the world.

Hinata returned his bow, greeting him politely.

"I am Lord Kumo and I'm very pleased to finally meet you," he said, stepping up towards her.

"The pleasure is mine," she said with a smile. "I hope you're enjoying your time here at Konoha."

"Ah, it's a beautiful place," he said, smoothing down his brown hair. He gave her a smirk, twisting his little beard. "With a beautiful view."

She knew this game. Many of those with good looks, exceptional battle skill, or a noble name and a powerful father played it well. But she had started to become adept at it in turn.

She forced a smile. "You flatter me, sir."

They spoke for a while longer. He complimented their food and home, congratulated her on her marriage, and told her stories of his home. How much bigger it was. How much cleaner. How many more servants he had. How his army was trained harder. His boasts were hidden behind sly words but they were brags nonetheless and easy enough to pick out.

"You fight, sir?" Hinata asked at the mention of training.

"I dabble here and there," he said, standing up straighter. "Well enough to protect you, Lady Hinata." He smiled at her as if he said something clever.

"Pray tell, protect me from what?" she asked innocently.

"Oh my dear. So innocent you are," he said bringing up a finger to caress her cheek. She flinched a little, surprised by his actions but held her ground, a small smile still plastered to her face. She had to play the part of the welcoming host and kind queen and she was determined to do a good job. "There are whispers of war flitting about. A sweet lady such as yourself would be a valuable target."

"Is that a threat, my lord?" she asked with a tilt of her head. She knew it was not but she wanted to push him a little more.

The man laughed, throwing his head back. It was loud and obnoxious but Hinata was just glad he drew his hand back. Briefly she glanced around the room, happy that the rest of her guests were still chattering about, becoming drunk on wine and food.

"You have quite the mouth, my lady," he said, leaning down towards her, a leer on his face.

Hinata politely smiled back. "I may get that from my husband," she said. "He has a wonderful way with words."

Lord Kumo's smile faltered but he chuckled. "Ah, King Naruto. How I wish the king would bless me with a gift of the queen to warm my bed." Hinata couldn't hide her shock. She was about to voice her outrage but the man kept going. Perhaps he had a bit too much ale to drink? Or perhaps he simply knew not how to control his tongue. Raised to get anything he wanted; his spoiled behavior showed. His previous words were spoken quietly and the next ones he whispered right near her ear. "As for that pretty mouth of yours…I'd love to see how it looks around my cock-"

The sound of a slap resonated through the room and all the chatter came to a halt, pairs of eyes shifting towards the queen and the offended man holding his hand to his reddening cheek.

"The  _nerve_  of you…my  _lord_." She added the term of respect as an afterthought. She stood before him, hands clenched to her side, anger apparent on her face.

"I told you of my riches," he hissed. "My power. How  _dare_  you-"

Suddenly Naruto was in front of her, standing in-between Hinata and the man.

"How dare  _you_  speak to my queen that way," he said, shoulders taut with tension. "What  _happened_  here?"

Now the lord looked frightened.

Hinata placed a gentle hand on her husbands back and he immediately turned to her, pulling her to the side. He gestured towards his guards to take hold of the lord that riled up his wife so bad before looking at her face with soft eyes.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

She started explaining to him in hushed whispers to avoid the eavesdropping ears all around them. She told him about his stories with vulgar insinuations but also explained that perhaps she should be used to it considering that may just be how certain men speak but he immediately tore that train of thought down. He brought a finger to her chin as he spoke, telling her that was how men spoke with other men and their enemies and certainly not in a setting like this. She nodded in understanding.

"Is that why you slapped him?" Naruto asked. When  _his_  hand came up there was no flinching. Just comfort. "I saw how he touched your cheek," he said, sounding almost bitter.

"Well…perhaps your comedic and sarcastic conversational style rubbed off on me a little, your grace," she said, smiling sweetly. He chuckled at her words.

"Why do you say that?"

"The Lord enjoyed talking to me," she went on. "And he said how he would like to see my… _pretty_  mouth around his…his…cock." She blushed pink and looked down at the ground, somehow ashamed.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Would you like me to kill him?"

Hinata looked up quickly, astonished at how blunt his words were. His face was shrouded with fury. He hid it well but it was hard for him to hide his feelings from her.

"Oh no," she whispered furiously. "Don't. There would be war."

Naruto scoffed. "Weak family. Weak ties. No one likes him. It wouldn't be hard to quell the damage."

Hinata noticed how his fingers grasped the hilt of his sword and she clasped her hand around his.

"No."

Naruto looked down at his wife, frown evident on his face. But she met his gaze, determined not to back down.

"Fine," Naruto murmured. "How about I cut off his tongue?"

Hinata couldn't help but laugh softly at this. He said it so seriously. She placed her hands on his chest. "It's alright," she said. "I did fend well for myself though, didn't I?"

A smile finally returned to Naruto's face and he grasped her tightly around the waist, wrapping an arm around her. He cared not that there was an audience, watching carefully as they had previously conversed under their breath.

"That's right," he said, leaning in close. "My queen, you are one strong lady."

He closed the distance and their lips met.

.

* * *

.

Months passed since their wedding day and winter approached quickly.

Sleep left Naruto and his eyes fluttered open. He groaned quietly, in this moment not wanting morning to come. He was snug in bed with his warm wife beside him. The only thing waiting to greet him with open arms outside of their blanket was the frigid morning air. Indeed, the castle had warm fireplaces scattered about but there was no place he'd want to be than right here nestled beside Hinata.

But he had a job to do. Rule the kingdom.

He sighed and sat up in his bed, some of the comforter moving with him, revealing Hinata's naked back to him. The lack of warmth and seeping cold reached her and she shifted, turning to look at him with bleary eyes.

"Good morning, my king," she yawned, stretching her arms against the plush pillows.

"Morning, my love." He moved down towards her, kissing her slowly. He felt her smile against him as her arms slithered around the back of his neck. He shifted over so he lay atop of her and she giggled pulling away from the kiss.

"You have to be in court today," she said, raking her fingers through his messy blonde hair. "You have to listen to the people."

"Yeah, the complaints," Naruto said with a sigh. "They're never-ending."

"You have to do what you can."

Naruto leaned down and kissed her throat. "I know. But first…"

Hinata felt his hand snake down her body before stopping between her legs.

"You'll be late," she gasped, biting her lip as he kissed her breasts and fondled her.

"A king is never late," he said, his head disappearing under the covers.

.

* * *

.

"My queen," one of her elder handmaids bowed as Hinata stared at herself in the mirror. She was known for helping to take care of the castle children and mothers. "You called for me?" They had just finished giving her a good bath, scrubbed her until her skin was pink, and she stood naked, hand on her belly.

"I am late," she said, staring at the slightest swell of her stomach. If Naruto had noticed the gain in weight he had said nothing and loved her just the same.

"How long has it been, my lady?" the woman asked, approaching. Hinata allowed her to touch the curve of her belly.

"I missed three," Hinata replied, sounding nervous. "What if it's just gas? Or maybe I ate too much? What if I'm sick?"

"Oh honey," the woman said, soothing her. "Three?"

"I was scared. I didn't want to make something big out of nothing."

"I've seen countless women go through the same situation as yourself. I know the signs."

Hinata nodded, pulling a robe around herself. "I wasn't sure. We have only been married for a few months."

The woman smiled. "Perhaps the Kings seed is strong and his love for you even stronger. My queen, you have wonderful news to share with your husband."

.

* * *

.

Naruto returned late from an excursion outside of their walls and they ate together alone in the large hall. The main course was served by a few servants. Hinata shook her head at the offering of wine and slowly cut at her meat, taking small bites.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, laying down his utensils.

"Oh, I'm fine," Hinata said, smiling timidly.

He didn't look sure. "What's wrong?"

Hinata bit her lip nervously. "Nothing's wrong."

"Hinata."

She shut her eyes, hands on her lap. "I just-"

The doors to the hall opened and a servant walked out holding a platter. "Your favorite, Queen Hinata," he spoke, dishing out the hot desert. "Warm buns with a cinnamon and sugar glaze."

Hinata looked up at her husband who had a small smile on his face. "You remembered?"

"Of course," he said. "I know what you enjoy." He winked at her and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks redden at his insinuation.

"Behave yourself," she said with a smile, watching as the servant retreated.

Naruto laughed. "Are you commanding your king?"

Hinata smiled. "And if I am?"

Naruto smirked and feigned exasperation. "There's nothing I can do but heed your orders my love."

They continued their casual banter all the way up to their room. Naruto took off his heavy cloak and boots with a satisfied sigh.

"I'm in dire need of a bath," he said, pulling off his socks.

Hinata stepped forward to help unbuckle the belt around his waist, clasping his doublet together. She sniffed, a smile tugging at the corner of her lip.

"Maybe you do."

She felt the rumble of Naruto's chest as he chuckled, lifting his hand to run through her hair. "Care to join me?"

"You're terrible," she said, swatting away his hand with a laugh.

He leaned in for a kiss, tenderly grazing her cheek. "Can you blame me? Running the kingdom is hard and you're my only source of relief."

"You can burn off some energy," she suggested.

"With you?" he said, winking.

Hinata smiled. "Perhaps practice your sword fighting."

"Care to join me?" he asked. "I do enjoy it." Hinata hesitated and he noticed. "You don't have to, of course. It is a joy seeing the looks on my knights faces as their very own queen picks up arms."

He watched her smile hesitantly as she picked at the front of her dress. He knew her habits well.

"Hinata, are you alright?" That was the second time he asked her this today and he was starting to worry. "Please, talk to me."

"I am with child," she said, louder than she meant. Her eyes were closed tight and she was slightly bowed, hair cascading around her. He saw the tension in her shoulders and felt his mouth open.

_With child…_

He found himself frozen, unable to speak. She looked up at him carefully, face fraught with worry. "I'm sorry if this news doesn't make you happy-"

"Of course I'm happy," he finally said, breaking out of his trance. A smile grew on his face, brighter than the sun. He moved forward swiftly, grasping her shoulders. "You are giving me an  _heir_."

The lump in Hinata's throat vanished and the wetness in her eyes turned to tears of joy. Naruto was laughing and crying all at once and she was so empathetic to her feelings that she joined him. He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her temple, her cheeks, her lips-

The kingdom feasted for weeks.

.

* * *

.

"My Queen, you have a visitor."

Hinata looked up questioningly from her knitting at the servant who entered her quarters.

"A visitor?"

The young girl bowed. "Indeed, ma'am. He is Lord of the Otsutsuki clan."

The clan name sounded familiar. She thought she remembered their sigil but Hinata could not remember ever meeting someone from those lands.

"Did he inform you of the reason for his visit?" she asked as she placed both hands on the arms of her chair to pull herself up. The girl moved forward to help her but Hinata waved her away, laughing gently. "I may be pregnant," she said, stretching her back. "But I still have a few ways to go before the child comes."

"Congratulations again, my queen," the girl said, staring at her in utmost respect. "As for your question, no he did not. He only said the matter was not urgent and not to rush you. He wishes to speak with you when you are ready."

"How kind of him," Hinata said, following the girl out. "Luckily for him the king doesn't want me to do much now except rest so I have time to spare."

"He is afraid, my queen."

"Of what?" Hinata said, not really asking. "I've made it seven months or so, so far-"

"Please, my queen, if I may say something…"

"Of course."

The girl bowed. "Please do not say things like that. The king cares for you deeply and if anything were to happen to you the whole kingdom would be devastated."

Hinata stood speechless as she stared at the young maid before her, so devoted to caring for her.

"I am honored," Hinata spoke, gently guiding the girl back up. "Thank you for those words."

"I hope I did not speak out of term."

"Don't fret," Hinata insisted.

They continued in silence as the girl led her to one of the large open balconies that overlooked Konoha. Hinata saw a man standing near the edge, arms crossed behind his back. He wore a gorgeous white suit lined with gold. A similarly gold scabbard lay empty on his waist. The weapon was no doubt confiscated as he entered her area of the castle.

The small table on the balcony was decorated with flowers and filled with plates of different biscuits and sweets. A small pot of warm tea sat ready beside a pitcher of red wine.

The maid bowed at Hinata before making her way out the door and Hinata approached the man. She said nothing as she stood by the table, waiting for him to turn.

"My queen," he spoke, voice smooth as silk and not unkind. "I thank you for taking time out of your day to pay me a visit."

"It is my pleasure," Hinata said courteously. The man finally turned, his striking blue eyes meeting her white ones. They were bright, just as her husbands, but held no warmth and exuded cold. "I'm sorry to say I don't recognize you."

The man chuckled at some joke hidden from her and made his way over. "May I?" he indicated towards her hand and she lifted it as he gave her a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "It is unfortunate we meet in this circumstance."

Hinata's eyes narrowed as she watched the man take a seat. "I'm sorry?" She realized none of her maidservants were around and she had asked her guard to stay outside the door. She didn't feel threatened but his words were odd.

"Please, take a seat," he said, waving at the table. "No doubt your swollen feet must be sore by now."

Hinata bit her lip. If Hanabi or even Naruto were here they would have had some nasty retort to say. She wasn't sure what she thought of this man yet. She found it peculiar that he was giving orders…or rather suggestions in her own castle but she remained courteous. She took a seat across from him and smiled pleasantly.

"What may I owe this pleasure to?" she asked.

"First of all let me congratulate you on the little miracle you have growing inside you."

"Thank you, my lord." Hinata said, bowing her head. "The King and I are extremely happy."

"Of course he would be," Toneri said, smiling. "He has such a wonderful wife."

"You flatter me, Lord Toneri."

Toneri sighed. "It is unfortunate that you are so formal with me, my queen."

Hinata cocked her head to the side. "Pardon?"

Toneri seemed to lose all sense of humor in this moment. He leaned forward, cold eyes staring at her. "Did you not know? You were engaged to be married to me."

Hinata frowned. "What is this nonsense?" Now she had heard many lords and ladies say some ridiculous things during her short time as queen so far but this little accusation…?

"No," Hinata continued. "I just knew since a young age I was promised to someone."

"Indeed," Toneri said. "And that is correct. You were promised to  _me_." Hinata opened her mouth to speak and the man held up a finger, which she ignored.

"I don't understand," she said, warning in her tone. One slip up and he would be forced out of the castle.

"It was  _me_ ," Toneri said, eyebrows knit together in anger. "I used to be powerful. My family used to own  _all_ the land before raiders and people came and took over centuries ago." He was bitter and Hinata could tell it left a nasty taste in his mouth. She felt a gentle breeze caress her cheeks as Toneri's words echoed in her ears. The man briefly shifted his eyes away from hers before a small smirk adorned his face. "Until King Naruto's parents died. His godfather became temporary king and then  _he_  died, quite unfortunate for myself and the Kingdom.  _Your_  father jumped at the opportunity to have his eldest daughter wed the King of Konoha and surrounding lands." He stopped and took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "You would have married me."

The sound of a door closing came from behind her and Hinata turned to see her King standing at the doorway, eyes wide and hiding pain. No doubt he heard everything…probably since Toneri looked away from her.

"Naruto-" Hinata started to say, getting to her feet.

"Thank you for visiting the castle, Lord Toneri," Naruto said stiffly. "But you have overstayed your welcome. My guards will escort you out."

"If that is your wish, my  _King_ ," Toneri said, standing up to give him a bow. "I have said what I needed to say."

"Naruto…" Hinata took a step forward and Naruto's soft eyes looked at her before he tore his gaze away. The doors behind him opened and a few guards walked in. Naruto turned on the spot and exited, his cloak billowing behind him.

But they were  _happy_. Everything changed so  _quickly._ Hinata held a hand to her throat- feeling anguish grow inside of her. She couldn't even tell why he was so upset. She had an idea but…

"It was nice meeting you, Hinata," Toneri said as he passed her.

Hinata's handmaiden had entered at that moment and she gasped at the disrespect. He called her by her name when they had hardly met.

"My queen, shall we return to your room?" she asked as she reached her side.

Hinata shook her head. "I wish to go to my husband. Alone."

.

* * *

.

Naruto was standing by the open window, watching his knights practice fighting when Hinata entered the room silently. The hem of her dress swished against the floor and he sensed her stand a little ways away from him.

"Naruto, please…" she said, voice soft.

He clenched the cold stone bordering the window and shut his eyes.

"Please don't be mad," she continued, moving closer to him. His usual broad shoulders were sloped down and he looked  _small_. Vulnerable. "Everything that man said…I had no idea-"

"You married me for the land." His voice was hollow.

Hinata swallowed, her throat feeling tight. "I-"

Naruto laughed sardonically, face downcast. "Well, I can't blame you for that. After all arranged marriages are to make alliances and gain something right? Might as well get the most out of it as you can-"

"Stop it," she said, her voice merely a whisper. "Stop saying that." She felt herself tremble as she stared at his back. " _Look_  at me." She thought he wouldn't move for a moment but he did. He turned and she looked at his face, suddenly tired. "I love  _you_ , Naruto."

She saw something inside him crumble but he held his ground. "You were supposed to marry  _him_ ," he said, his anger flaring.

"I didn't  _know_  that!" Hinata felt like stomping her foot. This whole situation was just ridiculous- "I chose  _you_ -"

"I could have had any woman," Naruto said scathingly, ripping off his heavy cloak and letting it fall to the floor with a thud.

Hinata's heart fell with it.

He saw it in her face and suddenly he felt remorse.

"Shit, Hinata-"

"And you still can," she said, refusing to look away from him. Her hand automatically moved to the swell of her belly, not realizing the pang of guilt that little movement would cause Naruto to feel. "Kings and Lords and men and women alike have their whores and mistresses. No one would bat an eye if you did as well."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean that," he said. "I would never-"

"You could."

She was angry and he didn't blame her.

How the tables turn.

"Hinata, no-" He moved forward but she took a step back, her face a mask of apathy.

"You had  _no_  reason to be mad," she said, her voice quiet once more. He could see the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Her wall was breaking.

"I know," he said swiftly. "I know. I know. I was just-Hinata I can't imagine you not being with me-"

"But you can imagine yourself with other women?" A lone tear slipped down her cheek and he felt a cold hand grip his heart.

" _No_ ," he exclaimed. He groaned. "That's not what I meant-  _Please_ -" He moved towards her once again, arms outstretched to reach her but she turned and moved swiftly to the door.

"I'll be in the queens chamber tonight, your  _grace_ ," she said. In a castle this large there was a luscious room made especially for the reigning queen but never had she stayed a night there. Her spot was always in the bed she shared with the king.

The door slammed shut and Naruto stood alone.

.

* * *

.

It took him days and weeks to get her to fully forgive him.

He knew he jumped to conclusions and he let his anger talk for him. He sent her gifts ordered from foreign lands and showered her with gold and jewels and encouraged the cooks to make her favorite meals but he knew none of this was what she wanted. When they ate together she responded neatly to his questions and spoke when needed but he could feel the distance between them. The distance was closing but he hated it nonetheless.

So one night he found himself sneaking up to her chambers. The guards jolted when they sensed his presence but after realizing it was their king gave him whispered apologies. Naruto walked into the darkened room, the fireplace, crackling low and steady, giving him a faint view of the furniture. He closed the door gently before turning his gaze towards the curve of her body in the middle of the bed. His heart ached for her and he approached quietly.

She shifted when she felt the bed move under his weight. Her eyes fluttered open and in her half asleep state she smiled, forgetting their quarrel. "Hello, my king."

Naruto almost cried.

He lifted up the covers, moving himself towards her before running a finger across her cheek. "Hello, my queen." She was sleeping on her side and he kept a respectable distance between them. Gradually her eyes opened wider and he gave her a hesitant smile, his hand still on her cheek. She searched his eyes before looking down, face sad.

"I'm sorry," he said. He had said that so many times he had lost count. But he was determined to say it as many times as he had to.

"I'm sorry too," she said, bringing up her hand to cup his. Her fingers were soft against his rough ones and he felt the soreness in his throat return and he knew, tonight, he really would cry.

"You…you are my weakness," he said, turning his hand to hold hers. He pulled it close to his chest. "And my strength."

Hinata said nothing but squeezed her eyes shut, nodding.

"These past few weeks…" he exhaled, looking away. "Were painful."

"Mhm," she agreed, guiding his head towards hers. She traced his whiskers and he let his eyes close, absorbing her touch. They stayed like this for a while, listening to the fire crackle and cast shadows on the wall. He took in her scent and wanted nothing more than to hold her but he waited.

"Oh!"

Naruto's eyes snapped open at Hinata's yelp. "What's wrong?" His question was immediate and he shifted, balancing on his elbow, his free hand hovering over her. "What happened?"

Hinata just smiled, bringing her hand to her stomach. "The baby kicked," she said. "Surprised me, that's all."

Naruto's eyebrows knit together and a pout formed on his face.  _The baby kicked… Their_  baby _._  The change in his position had pulled the covers away from her, revealing her nightdress-clothed body.

He hesitated. "May I…?"

She smiled at him. "Of course," she said. "You never had to ask before."

He placed a hand carefully on the swell of her belly. His touch was gentle and soft and she covered his hand. "You won't be able to feel it if you don't press a little harder," she explained, smiling. He nodded mutely, waiting in awe for their child to move.

And when it did he laughed happily, scooting closer. He leaned down, pressing his cheek against her stomach. "Come on, kick again for daddy," he whispered as Hinata moved her hand through his hair, massaging his scalp in a way she knew he liked.

He stayed like this for a while, whispering hushed words to his future son or daughter. "He kicked again, Hinata!" he exclaimed, kissing her stomach. "Of course, you could feel it but-"

When he finally looked at her face he felt his heart fall. Silent tears fell from her eyes, ran across the bridge of her nose and soaked her pillow.

"Hinata-" he croaked, moving up towards her. "What-"

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry-"

"Hinata, please stop crying. You have no reason to be sorry-"

"I'm a terrible wife," she continued, hiding her face with her hands.

Naruto felt helpless. He may have learned how to fight powerful enemies and rule the lands but when it came to his crying wife he felt weak.

"Tell me what's wrong," he said, prying her hands away. "Let me help you. Is it I?"

"I-I…" Her cheeks were pink and she couldn't stop the tears even if she wanted to. "It's…"

Naruto felt his own eyes begin to water. She was falling apart and he could do nothing to stop her. Instead of words, his once greatest weapon, he lay down beside her and gathered her into his arms for a long overdue embrace. He didn't care that her tears soaked his garments. He held onto her as tightly as he could, running his fingers through her hair, whispering sweet words in her ear.

"I neglected you," she said, sniffling.

"What?" he asked. "Is that why you're sad?"

"I…I didn't do my duty as a wife…as your queen," she went on. "And if you…found someone else to warm your bed during our quarrel-"

"I told you before and I'll tell you again that will never happen," Naruto said, voice hard and tone final. "If that is what concerns you I assure you- you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"I've been acting ridiculously," she said, wrapping her arms around him. She missed the feel of his body against hers.

"No less than I have," he said, chuckling, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly.

"Do you still love me?"

"So much it hurts." There was no hesitation.

She pulled her head back, just enough that their noses touched. "I love you," she said simply.

"I know," he replied, moving in to kiss her. The kiss was soft and slow and he took his time admiring her. "And I love you, my queen. Moon of my life."

"And you are my sun and stars."

.

* * *

.

Love would come later.

That's what they told her when she was going to get married.

Do your duty. Join the two kingdoms. Give the king a son.

And as they held each other in their arms, all those things started to come true.

Love did not have to come later.

Love was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired by Game of Thrones. Their wedding night was taken heavily from the book scene between Daenerys and Khal Drogo. The moon of my life and sun and stars line as well. I would have made this a Game of Thrones AU but I wasn't really using too much from that universe other than the time, brief mention of dragons, etc.
> 
> I also got a few lines from this post: post/121582853354/arranged-marriage-au-starter-sentences
> 
> Made up the character Kumo. Supposed to be the guy that attempted to kidnap Hinata from the series when she was younger. But it really doesn't matter.


	20. One-Shot 16: Caged AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only world he remembered were the walls that surround him. Torture and experimentation. Silence and submission. Until he gained a cell mate.

_A girl in ragged clothing sat pressed up against the wall, a fire flickering before her. Her bright blue eyes glistened as she listened to the rain outside. She could hear her brother cursing as he ran to pull in some freshly chopped wood before it got too damp. Her eyes turned to watch her mother rummage through an old box of papers, dust billowing out as she sifted through them._

_"Mom?"_

_"Yes sweetie?" The woman looked up briefly, holding a book close to her chest._

Not yet. _They had enough wood for now. There was no need to burn these things._

_Memories assaulted her._

_The drip, drip, dripping of water as it leaked from the cracks in the ceiling. The damp chill that seeped through her bones. The watery, cold soup and stale bread shoved through the bars._

_That life was worse. This was better._

_Surviving was difficult but not impossible._

_And the groups were now_ thriving _. Things were improving. This was just one of the poorer times._

_"Will you read to me again?" The woman looked up at her daughter, the faint orange light from the fire flickering off her dark hair. Oh how she reminded her of her husband._

_"What do you want your mom to read?"_

_The woman turned just as the man of her thoughts walked through the door, removing his soaked jacket and hanging it up on rusted hooks on the wall. Their son followed, almost a replica of his father._

_"Oh, I don't know," the girl said, seeming to ponder. But the mother knew what she had in mind. "Tell me about you and daddy again. How you guys made it out."_

_The woman smiled, glancing briefly at her husband. "I'll need your fathers help for that."_

_"We got to teach you to read more, Himawari," Naruto said, laughing as he pulled his daughter into a hug. The girl laughed, pushing him away._

_"You're all wet, daddy!"_

_Naruto ignored her complaints, rubbing his scruff against her cheek._

_"Oh, honey. All this will go straight in the history books. Just you wait."_

.

* * *

.

One-zero-one-zero.

1010.

That's what he was called. That's what he was always called. But somewhere in the back of his head he knew that wasn't his name. Na-? Na-to? He sighed.

He lay on the thin mat he called his bed as he counted the many grey bricks that lined the ceiling. He knew the number by heart but he did it anyway. What else was he supposed to do in this cell?

Wait. Nothing but wait.

That's all he knew now.

He heard the sound of keys and a scratching as the large door at the end of the hallway was pushed open. Lazily he allowed his head to fall to the side and he blinked as he listened to the slow and steady sound of footsteps getting closer.

Who would the poor person that was to be experimented on be today?

He watched as a few men in white lab coats stepped into view, stopping right outside the bars of his cage.

He sighed softly.

Really?

Him  _again_? He was taken away last month, couldn't they give him a break?

One of the men looked at him through dirty glasses, face set in a frown. But they all turned and ordered a guard to unlock the cage across from him.

He blinked again.

So it wasn't him.

"No, no," the man that lived across from him muttered hoarsely. "Please, no. I don't want to- don't take me-"

Of course they didn't listen. Naruto turned his head back to look at the ceiling as the mans wailing started to fill the long hallway. He heard the other residents of the cells lined past his grow restless. Some were sure to watch curiously from their cages as the man was dragged away, his shouts growing louder. Others probably cowered in their little corners.

Naruto sighed and started counting the bricks on the ceiling again.

He didn't know why the other man tried resisting. It never worked.

Maybe he was new.

Yeah, that must be it. Naruto nodded to himself. He just didn't know how hopeless it was yet.

.

* * *

.

"Hey, you."

He frowned, eyes shut tight.

"Hey. Wake up."

No. He really didn't want to. He was having a good dream. He saw a woman with red hair smiling at him, giving him something to eat. It looked really good. It was in some broth and had these long noodles… Better than the mysterious brown lumps they slid into his cube. He saw a blonde man that looked like him, smiling broadly. They seemed really familiar and made him feel all warm inside. He knew them from somewhere but it was hard to tell. He had a feeling he knew who they were. From when things were better. But they were told since the beginning there was nothing but this. That the outside was uninhabitable. That the things they were doing to them were to help them survive. These experiments were for their benefit-

"Hey, wake up."

His eyes snapped open and he rolled over to see who dragged him out of his dream.

He blinked wearily and croaked out one word.

 _"What_?"

He was a bit angry. That was probably the first word he had said in a long time. The people around him weren't very conversational and there wasn't much to talk about here anyway. Maybe share the number of cinderblocks in each individual cell; argue that theirs was bigger. Dumb stuff like that.

So yeah, he never really found the need to talk.

His voice was hoarse and felt a bit dry. He crawled over to the grim plate of food that had been placed in his cell some time ago and downed the grey looking water.

"Are you Naruto?"

He stopped, cup still on his lips.

 _Naruto_? Was he Naruto? It sounded really familiar.

He placed the cup down and looked at the man in the opposite cell. He never saw him before. He was probably new.

"I don't know," he said truthfully, eyeing the stranger warily. The man was older, he had white hair but something tickled the back of his mind. He looked  _familiar._

"You look just like your father," the man said under his breath, fingers wrapped tightly around the bars. "And those scars on your cheeks…they're unmistakable."

This caught his attention. He sat up straighter and approached the hallway. That bright haired man in his dreams…

"Who are you?"

The old man smiled at him, almost sadly. "I can't say much," he said. "I'm sure I'll be taken away just for speaking this much about such things-"

"What things?" Naruto asked quickly.

The man sighed. "The outside…you have to make it outside."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed together. "There is no outside."

The man chuckled darkly. "Oh? Then where do they keep getting new people? New  _experiments_  to work on? Where did  _you_  come from?"

Again he saw images of the red haired woman and blonde man.

"Things are bad, sure," the man went on. "But better than here. These scientists…these  _butchers_ …everyone on the outside knows to run. Those who have been unfortunate to be caught…"

"Like me," Naruto said.

Naruto.

It suddenly felt right. That was his name. And this man…? He knew him.

The man nodded sadly. "Your parents did their best to protect you. But…" he trailed off. "You're stronger than you think," he said suddenly. "You just have to dig deep and try and remember. You're your parents kid. Remember what it's worth."

"Hey!"

The guards. They were doing their rounds.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?"

The old man moved away from the bars. "Remember. Get out of here."

"Who brought him here?" a man in a white lab coat asked frantically. "He's not supposed to be in this wing." The man looked around and his eyes met Naruto's. "What did he say to you boy?"

Naruto opened his mouth and shook his head, holding out his empty cup to feign innocence.

The scientist scowled. "Get the fool some water. And get Jiraya  _out_  of here."

Naruto watched as they took away the old man. The white haired man made sure to look at him as he mouthed something.

_Get out._

.

* * *

.

He did a lot of thinking after that.

And a lot of listening.

He realized he was in one of the higher security parts of the building. But he didn't know why.

Then something went wrong on the scientists' part. They made a mistake.

The doors at the end of the hallway opened up and guards streamed in, opening cage doors and dragging people out. Naruto scrambled to his feet and approached the bars, watching curiously and with worry. A man with glasses walked towards him and examined some sheets of paper in front of him.

"Where are his charts?" he barked at another man.

"Should be there," the man mumbled, fumbling with his keys as he went to open Naruto's cage. Naruto held his breath. Was it finally happening? Was he being let go?

"Hey, wait," another guard came up and grasped the man with the keys on his shoulder. "He shouldn't be taken out-"

"Out of my way, soldier," the man said, shrugging. "We have a large influx in new experiments. We need to clear them out."

"But-"

"Let's go," the man ordered, staring directly at Naruto. He pulled him out of the cage roughly but Naruto's thoughts were far from resisting.

 _Wait, clear them out_?

"Where are you taking me?" Naruto finally spoke.

Silence.

"What are you going to do?" he tried again.

The door got closer.

His heart beat faster.

Was he going to see the outside again?

.

* * *

.

"Get inside," the man barked, pushing Naruto through another barred door and slamming it shut behind him.

Naruto stumbled but he didn't fall. He whipped around and glared at the man.

"What the hell is going on?" he shouted but the man turned and left, slamming shut the door behind him.

Naruto grumbled and turned, only just noticing that he wasn't alone in the cage.

He wasn't  _alone_.

His eyes widened as he stared at the black haired man and pink haired woman staring at him suspiciously. He couldn't help it. He had been practically isolated for almost as long as he could remember. This was a great change.

He grinned.

"Hey, my name's Naruto," he said cheerfully.

The pair narrowed their eyes. His grin started to fade…maybe this wasn't going to be that great-

Then he heard someone giggle.

Naruto turned towards the sound and stared across the narrow hallway at the cell before them. A girl with dark hair held her hand to her mouth, corners of her eyes crinkled in a smile. His mouth fell open. Laughter was a rare thing nowadays.

He grinned sheepishly at her.

"My name's Naruto," he repeated, holding his hand out through the gap in the bars. The hallway was small enough that if two people really stretched they would be able to have their fingertips touch.

The cheerfulness on the girls face vanished and her eyes widened. She took a step back and suddenly two men blocked her from view, one with dark glasses and the other with feral looking teeth.

"Back off," the brown haired man snarled, glaring, fingers curled around the rusted bars that trapped them.

Naruto was shocked. He didn't do anything  _wrong_ , did he?

He heard a snort and this time he turned around warily, retracting his arm slowly.

"Jeez, are you new?" the girl with bewildering pink hair spoke.

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how long have you been here?" she asked, slightly exasperated.

"Uh, like a few minutes now," he said, scratching his chin.

The girl paused and the black haired guy sighed. "She didn't mean here, in  _this_  cage, specifically," he explained. "How long have you been  _caged_?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Oh," he said, thinking. "For as long as I can remember. Ten years? Twelve? Probably more."

He watched as surprise crossed their face.

"That long?" the girl asked in awe, with sadness in her voice.

He nodded.

She tilted her head to the side, gazing at him with sorrow, as if he was missing something. Then she seemed to gain resolve. She took steady steps to him and held out her hand.

"My name is Sakura. And this here is Sasuke. Welcome to Cage 7."

.

* * *

.

He liked living here a lot more.

Cage 8 lay across from his own and he learned that these people were caged not so long ago. They  _remembered_  the outside. They remembered their names.

Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. Kiba was loud but Naruto found him pretty funny. Shino was quiet, quite the opposite of Kiba. Naruto would be lying if he didn't say he wasn't just the slightest bit creepy…but he saw the way he talked to his cellmates. He cared for them. Hinata was calm; she smiled at him from across the way. They were nice and he liked to consider them his friends.

The cage right next to Cage 8 was 10. Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino. Ino liked to talk a lot but he didn't mind. It was nice to hear voices of others. It was a change from the silence he was used to. Choji was sweet. And from what he could tell, he was Shikamaru's best friend. Shikamaru didn't talk much. He lounged on the bed whenever he could, eyes shut, mumbling something about missing the sky.

Naruto grinned. Yeah, he could get used to it.

.

* * *

.

He learned that they had never been experimented on.

He stared at their wide eyes, open mouths, and sad expressions as he went through some of the things the scientists did to him. He couldn't remember all of it. Sometimes he'd wake up in extreme agony, without a mark on his body, with no clue what had happened to him. But he always healed quickly.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, her hands clenched around the bars, eyebrows furrowed together.

Naruto shrugged. "I think so. I feel fine now."

He had told them about what that old man said to him. About something inside of him, something powerful. "Probably just from the experiments," Naruto said honestly. That's when Shikamaru rolled off the bed and crouched near the edge of the cage, staring at him intently.

"Tell me more," he said.

And he did and he could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"But what do they  _do_?" Sakura asked, biting her lower lip. Ever since Naruto told her about the experiments done to people she had been acting more and more nervous.

"I don't know but I hope you guys never find out," he said with a shake of his head.

.

* * *

.

Naruto threw the pebble the best he could and cheered when Hinata caught it. It was a silly game they played sometimes to keep themselves occupied. They had to throw the rock between the bars of their own cage and get it past the others as well. They had lost plenty of rocks from failed attempts but the crumbling walls provided plenty of new ammunition.

They both sat cross-legged on the floor tossing the pebble back and forth when the rock fell with a dull thud in the middle of the hallway. A man bent to pick it up, rolling the stone between his fingers before looking curiously into their cages.

He tossed the pebble back towards Hinata who caught it with ease, staring back up at the black haired man, eyes looking like the slits of a snake. He crouched near the cell and cocked his head to the side.

"What's your name?"

Hinata swallowed and didn't answer. They knew not to interact with those that were uncaged. They held a lot of power in their hands and if she said something wrong…

Kiba and Shino were immediately at her side, eyes narrowed at the stranger.

The man stood up and brushed some dirt off of his white clothes. "No worries. I'm here for three people."

Naruto felt the stress in the air as the chatter from the cells around them died down. No one wanted to be taken away. Those that were taken either never returned or returned with scary stories to tell…the pain and humiliation they suffered through.

"You two men will do," he said, pointing at Kiba and Shino in turn.

"No!" Hinata exclaimed scrambling up, arms spread wide at a futile attempt to shield them from the evil mans gaze.

"Hinata-" Kiba tried, tugging at her hand but Hinata refused to budge.

"No!" she repeated. "Don't take them-"

"Do you want me to take you?" the man asked, his smile not reaching his eyes.

Hinata stopped, arms trembling as she moved to tightly grip the bars of the cage. "Please, don't hurt them."

The man stepped closer, running his finger across her hands.

Naruto watched the exchange with pointed eyes. He didn't want any of his friends to be taken away. He didn't want any of them to have to suffer.

"Don't worry," the greasy haired man said. "I'll be back for you soon but I'm here for another woman right now." He turned on the spot and walked over to Naruto's cage. He heard movement behind him as his cellmates came to realize what that meant.

Everything happened quickly. Guards arrived to take away his friends. Kiba and Shino were dragged away, faces bruised after a short scuffle. In the end they took away both Sasuke and Sakura, angered by the fight Sasuke put up against them. Naruto was going to join in as well but the look on Sakura's face stopped him.

He had a job to do and that was to get everyone out eventually. If he were taken away that would never come to happen.

Hinata fought hard as well, not willing to let her friends go but she was thrown back into her cell roughly, scratched and bruised.

After the scuffle everything seemed deadly quiet.

"Hinata?" Naruto whispered across the way, the hallway now dark. He couldn't see much but he could vaguely see the outline of her body as she lay on the bed, facing the wall. She was trembling.

She said nothing.

Naruto felt his heart clench and felt anger bubbling up inside of him at the people that ruined all of their lives.

.

* * *

.

He didn't see the friends that were taken away in so long.

None of them returned.

At one point there was a loud explosion, lots of flashing red lights and guards running around and no one in the cells knew what was happening. Rumors spread. People were whispering…saying someone had escaped. Someone was able to leave these walls. More and more people were starting to believe that the outside  _was_  habitable. That if they somehow got out of their cages they would indeed not only be able to survive, but they would be able to  _live_.

.

* * *

.

Cage ten was taken next.

Now it was just Naruto sitting alone in Cage Seven across from Hinata in Cage Eight.

He watched her carefully. She didn't eat much and she barely talked to him anymore. She was sad. She was very sad and it hurt him.

Cage Ten wasn't gone for long, fortunately. When they came back, though, they all had bandages wrapped around their heads, as if someone cut into their skull. Naruto swallowed tightly. He knew that was definitely an option. Someone definitely poked and prodded in their heads.

Shikamaru assured him he was fine. If anything he was feeling better than normal. He said it felt like his mind was running a mile a minute and he would come up with a plan to escape as soon as he could. Ino lay on the bed still, deathly still. She wouldn't wake up for a while and they fed her through tubes. Choji looked relatively unharmed and he took it upon himself to take care of his friend.

When Sakura finally came back it wasn't with good news.

.

* * *

.

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, scrambling up from his bed and clinging to the bars of his cage. She looked fine, unharmed- healthy even.

And she was wearing a white coat.

"Sakura?" Naruto felt confusion bloom and he cocked an eyebrow. She was flanked by some guardsmen and held a clipboard in her hand. Behind her were a few people lined up and in shackles, stumbling along.

She didn't meet his eyes.

One of the guards looked down at a paper in his hand. "Three men go in this section."

Sakura nodded.

"Unlock Cage 8," she ordered.

Hinata inhaled sharply, looking at Sakura, distraught.

She watched as the guardsmen unlocked Cage 8's door and led three of the shackled men inside, unlocking their restraints. Hinata had backed up to the wall, confusedly staring at the people before her. Where were Kiba and Shino?

" _Four_  people?" Naruto spoke up, not even angry with his former friend. Just really confused and, admittedly, slightly worried for Hinata's well being. "Four people in a cage, Sakura?"

Only for the briefest moment did her green eyes meet his blue ones. They were colder than he remembered but the hint of redness he saw in them told him she had cried.

Why?

Right as the men were going to lock the cage door, Sakura spoke.

"Wait. Take the girl and put her into Cage 7."

"But-"

"We're already having an influx of new people, we can't stuff more than we can handle into one cage," Sakura said stoically, turning away and looking down at her clipboard. "Move her into Cage 7. If you don't and something happens to her, it's your head."

Sakura waited only long enough to listen to the sound of more doors being unlocked and the sound of footsteps before she rapidly walked back down the hall.

Naruto was going to call out to her- ask what was wrong but something held him back. Instead he moved towards the entrance of his cage and caught Hinata in his arms, knowing full well the guards would crudely shove her in.

It was a weird thought but as he held her he couldn't help but think she was pleasantly soft. It just hit Naruto that he hadn't really had much of actual human contact since he was pushed into this cage and shook Sakura's hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as she steadied herself.

She nodded, brushing hair away from her face. "I'm fine… I- Sakura…She was…"

"I know," Naruto said with a sigh.

He looked down at the solid door at the end of the hall.

"I know."

.

* * *

.

Naruto lost count of how much time had passed. He only found himself looking forward to the scheduled sanitation hours every few days. They opened their cage doors, clasped on a pair of shackles and filed them down the hall. Naruto didn't pay much attention to the route they took to get to the showers but he watched Shikamaru take in his surroundings discretely, no doubt noting the different turns, the different doors, and the covered windows, hiding the view of the outside.

They were split into two; the women were herded to one room, the men to another. The word privacy had no meaning in this place and they were stripped of their clothes and shoved under a showerhead spurting out cold water or, if they were lucky, lukewarm water.

Naruto did his best to wash the dirt and grime that compiled on his body, running his fingers through his hair, washing his face. He didn't even care that the water was freezing; his body accommodated quickly and he was going to make the best of it.

Naruto blinked his eyes open through the stream of water and saw a man snatch up his clothes.

"Hey!" he made to lunge forward but he was pushed back by a stationed guard.

"Stand down," the man said. "You all are being issued new clothes."

Naruto stopped his struggling and eyed the people suspiciously. "Why?"

The guard snorted. "The facility has been doing well lately. New influx of people means more money. More money means more things for everyone else."

Naruto knew he shouldn't say what he said next but the words slipped from his mouth anyway. "Where are you getting these new people if the outside is so uninhabitable?"

The guard turned his head sharply to look at Naruto but the whiskered man couldn't make out his expression through the man's mask.

"Excuse me?" the man took a threatening step forward. "What's your number?"

Immediately Naruto remembered the day he was taking away from his original cage…how he wasn't supposed to be moved to this lower security level…

"I don't know," he lied.

The man looked as though he was going to say more but a sharp bell sounded and the showerheads turned off all at once.

"Line up!" a loud voice shouted from the end of the room and Naruto took the blessing and made his way away from the suspicious guard.

He didn't know how many more times he would be so lucky but he knew luck could take him only so far.

.

* * *

.

"Oh wow," Naruto said in awe as he reentered Cage Seven several weeks later. The routine continued: shower, laundered clothes, and return to cage. But for some reason today they also seemed to have spruced up the individual cages. The sheets on the single bunk bed seemed to be changed. These cages were certainly meant to only hold two people at its max but three ended up being the norm. Recently it started to grow to four. The curtain separating the small sink and toilet also seemed to be new, the floors scrubbed, and everything seemed just a tad bit better.

It was still dark and gloomy, had a strange smell, and water occasionally dripped from the cracks in the ceilings but it seemed a  _little_  nicer.

"I call top bunk," Naruto stated, scrambling to the top and flopping down. He buried his face in the clean pillow, grinning, before rolling his head to watch Hinata take in the new room.

She giggled at his antics and made her way over to the bed, running her fingers along the sheets.

"You had the top before anyway," she said, looking up at him.

He leaned over. "Do ya want it?" He wouldn't let her have it regardless. The top bunk was actually the worst in their case. It meant the occasional surprise of trickling water from the ceiling. They did their best to fix the problem but patching the cracks with minimal material and having little space to rearrange their furniture, or lack of, was difficult.

She shook her head, smiling gently before settling into the lower bunk. She let out a sigh. "So soft…"

"Mhm," Naruto nodded, watching as the rest of their fellow inmates filed into their cages. He listened to Cage Ten fawn over the new materials; glad they were all finally feeling better after being experimented on a while ago. Ino still got headaches and Naruto often heard her talking in whispers to Shikamaru.

"Hey, Hinata," he peaked back over the edge and saw Hinata breathing gently, cheek buried against the pillow, a small smile present on her lips, fast asleep. She must have been exhausted or felt extremely comfortable with him to fall asleep so fast. He watched her for a few seconds longer before rolling over in his own bed, staring out at the darkening hallway, listening to the creaks of the old building, the chattering of his fellow inmates, and hushed whispers.

He sighed.

Sometimes it seemed oddly peaceful.

But it was never so.

.

* * *

.

Sometimes Naruto worried about Hinata.

He worried about all his friends.

Fights and scuffles would break out in individual cells when cellmates clashed heads or something went wrong. Perhaps someone stole another's blanket or food. Maybe they just rubbed each other the wrong way. Even worse was when people were placed in cells with someone with no morals or no conscience. Hearing the cries of help from both caged men and women alike as they would get assaulted clawed at his ears and he longed to go help but how would that be possible?

So when more people streamed into their block and the cages continued to grow full Naruto continued to fret.

Well, sometimes people seemed to enjoy their close proximities with others. There was really nothing to do trapped in these cages day after day with only limited options on sources of entertainment or ways to pass the time. You could hear moans and groans, the rapid creaking of a bed, and panting coming from nearby cells of two lovers, not too concerned with the lack of privacy. Others would do it alone. After all they were only human.

Soon they gained another cell mate. A quiet, pale, and dark haired young man around their age. They pushed him in and Naruto slipped off the top of his bunk, cautious of the new face.

The man smiled.

Naruto frowned, a bit surprised. Smiles weren't seen too often around her.

"Hello, my name is Sai," he said, taking a step inside.

Naruto heard the bed creak behind him as Hinata came to get a closer look. He even saw members of Cage 10 peak through the bars of their cage.

"Naruto," the blonde greeted warily.

Sai nodded and his gaze moved towards Hinata, who stared at him with her head tilted to the side.

"You look very nice," Sai said bluntly.

Hinata looked surprised, cheeks heating up. "I-"

"Yes, you have nice skin and an attractive body. Your eyes are a little off putting but I will enjoy sharing a cell with you," he continued. "What is your name?"

Naruto hardly heard Team 10's angered shouts as Naruto took a few threatening steps, clearing the entirety of the small cell in seconds, toward the other man, a single word leaving his lips.

"Bastard!"

.

* * *

.

Naruto learned later that Sai had been caged for his whole life. He knew nothing other than the walls around him. And the way he spoke was due to the lack of socialization and no reinforcement or punishment for his behaviors.

Sai was strange but he wasn't dangerous.

He could be quite nice in his weird way.

One bunk and three people caused a little bit of trouble in the beginning, especially since Naruto and Sai's introduction to one another resulted in a small brawl, torn apart by Hinata herself. It was easy in the past with Sasuke and Sakura. His pink haired friend didn't mind accommodating Sasuke in her bunk.

Sai didn't mind the prospect of sharing a bunk with Hinata either but Hinata seemed very uncomfortable with that idea and Naruto wasn't going to let her sleep on the floor, or her him.

So now the blonde and dark haired young woman spent their nights sharing the same bed.

Hinata quickly found out that Naruto liked to sprawl out in bed. Embarrassed, he tried his best to control that habit. One night Naruto woke and found her precariously close to the edge of the bed, most likely because he forced her there in his sleep. Guiltily, Naruto shifted over, gently throwing an arm around her to bring her closer to the middle. Hinata's body moved towards the radiating heat, allowing herself into his embrace, eyes opening briefly.

"Morning, Naruto," she whispered, snuggling close, her head tucked against his neck. Her breathing was slow, no doubt speaking as she was half asleep.

Naruto smiled to himself, tightening his grip around her.

"Good night, Hinata."

.

* * *

.

Everything was good for a while. Until they came back to do more experiments.

They came in the middle of the night for some god-forsaken reason.

Hinata was sleeping deeply, lost in the world of dreams, her breath falling lightly against her pillow. She hardly stirred when the grinding of the doors at the hallway sounded and moved only when she felt Naruto shift beside her, grumbling because of whatever was pulling him from his sleep. He was curved around her back, a habit he formed quickly as the weeks and months passed, careful to leave a respectable distance between the two, but close enough that he felt comfort in her body heat.

It was when the jangling of keys rang in her ears did her eyes snap open. Moving onto her elbow she turned over just as some guards pulled open their cage door.

"What do you want?" she asked, swiftly and loudly. Loud enough to rouse the sleeping man beside her.

He reacted quickly, jolting up beside her, eyes alert, staring at the stranger in the cell.

Hinata heard Sai shift under his covers above them as well and felt the air grow heavy with tension.

"Take the blonde," came a voice from the hallway, shrouded in darkness.

Hinata noticed Naruto stiffen, his shoulders grow taut, and his fingers roll into a fist.

"Why?" he asked lowly.

"Just routine experiments," one of the guards replied, stepping closer.

Naruto moved off the bed, standing tall, staring threateningly at the masked man before him.

"Stand down," the voice filled with authority repeated. "You will be returned back to your cage relatively unharmed in some time." Everyone was still and when it seemed as though Naruto would not budge the man spoke again. "Fine. We'll take someone else from this cage."

Naruto's eyes shifted back towards her friends. Yes, even Sai, he considered a friend now.

"I'll go," he said bitterly.

"As if you had a choice," the other man said with menace.

Naruto chose to remain quite, for which Hinata was glad. Sometimes these people would use any excuse they had to injure one of the inmates.

She watched them take him away, hating her inability to do anything.

.

* * *

.

They returned Naruto a few days later, looking exhausted but relatively unharmed. They pushed him into the cage, as usual, and he slumped into Hinata's arms, eyes shut, arms hanging limp.

"I'm tired," he simply said with a sigh. He allowed himself some comfort against the softness of her body and the feel of her heart beating in her chest. He was hyperaware of his surroundings but the thought had not occurred to him. "So tired," he repeated.

She led him to their bed and he was out in an instant.

Hinata stayed up wondering what they did to him.

.

* * *

.

As the cages grew more crowded, the researches seemed to be conducting more and more experiments as well. People were taken away just as fast as they were put into their cells.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked Hinata one day. She was sitting cross-legged at the edge of their cell, running her fingers against the bar. He sat down beside her, wondering why she looked so downtrodden.

Hinata glanced at him briefly, debating whether or not she should trouble him with what she thought were just her own selfish concerns.

"I miss them," she finally said. "Kiba and Shino."

Naruto nodded in understanding, his own thoughts shifting to the previous members of Cage 7.

"I just don't like not knowing what happened to them," she continued. "Whether they're okay or…"

"Hey, hey," Naruto stopped her quickly, allowing his hand to fall gently on her shoulder. "They're fine."

Hinata sighed. He couldn't possibly know that but she was thankful for the gesture.

.

* * *

.

They came again one day while Naruto was lounging in bed, playing with Hinata's silky tresses as she rested beside him. He didn't notice but he started to do this more and more often. His fingers would find hers and his body gravitated towards her.

He  _did_  notice how the new people in Cell 8 across from them would cat call Hinata. It was sickening and annoyed him to no end. He figured they were bored. They  _all_ were. There was only so many things they could find to distract themselves in their little cubicles.

But still that was no excuse and it still made Naruto's blood boil.

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto snarled, flinging himself off the bed and gripping the cold metal of the gates tightly. "Shut up!"

The men snickered, mocking him.

"What are you going to do from all the way over there?" one taunted.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man, jaw clenching. His fingers tightened and he could  _feel_  the cold bars move with him… He let go immediately. Perhaps all those experimentations were starting to work…

" _Naruto_ ,"he heard a sharp voice from the cage diagonally across from them. Shikamaru was staring at him with narrowed eyes, a note of warning in his tone. Not now. There was a time to show strength and this was not it.

He felt gentle fingers on his shoulders and knew it was her, even without turning. But turn he did and his fingers grazed against her waist as he led her back to their seat. She followed in silence; her beautifully unique eyes questioning him. He stared at her, mouth pressed together, almost pouting, eyebrows creased close.

What was it he felt? Why did he…why did he  _feel_  that way when he saw her? When he touched her?

"Hinata-" he had moved his hand up to bring his fingers to her cheek when the familiar sound of jangling keys and the heavy door scratching against the stone echoed through the hall. All chattering in the surrounding cages reached a sudden lull.

Naruto listened to the footsteps getting closer and closer and prayed to whatever was outside these walls that the men would keep walking.

But when were they ever that lucky?

"Sakura," Naruto said, staring at his former cellmate. She looked healthy, but the bags under her eyes showed she wasn't happy. She was looking at her clipboard, nervously biting her lip. How long had it been since she was taken away? Since Sasuke was taken away? Since Hinata's cell mates? Honestly, he couldn't recall anymore. Hinata was one of his only constants now.

"Hinata," Sakura spoke, swallowing thickly. She pointed into Cage 7 and Naruto felt Hinata stiffen beside him.

"Wait," Naruto spoke. The cruel torture Hinata was about to go under suddenly dawned on him. "Sakura-"

The men approached the cage, flipping through their countless keys.

"You can't-" Naruto said hoarsely, getting to his feet, holding one arm out as if that would be any match against the uncaged.

"Sit down," Sakura ordered him, eyes sharpening.

"How are you  _doing_  this?  _Why_?" Naruto exclaimed, not understanding how his friend could be putting them through this after she'd experienced the same pain as well.

He saw Sakura's lower lip tremble but felt no remorse towards her. Right now his heart was cold.  _Why-_

Hinata brushed past him, making her way towards the cage door.

"Hinata-"

She wouldn't allow him to get in a needless fight. The researchers would win. They always win. There was no reason for Naruto to get himself hurt over her-

"Hinata!"

Sakura nodded at her as they both ignored Naruto's cries.

"It'll be over soon," Sakura said.

Hinata swallowed and was about to step out into the hallway when she felt fingers tighten around her wrist. She turned, blue eyes inches away.

"You'll be  _hurt_ ," he said, pain laced in his voice. "They'll-"

"I know," she spoke, sounding braver than she felt. She let her free hand move up to cup her cheek so softly…so full of love. His head leaned towards her touch. "I know," she repeated.

Naruto unwillingly let go of her, watching her take those dreadful steps down the hall and watched the door close, losing her from his sight.

"Naruto," he heard Sai speak from behind him. "You're strong. But I see love is your weakness."

.

* * *

.

Naruto was alone again.

He didn't bother counting the days but they had come in and taken Sai away as well. Cage Ten ended up getting emptied soon after. He didn't know why the scientists were ramping up their experiments but it couldn't be good. He did hear occasional bangs sounding far off but close enough to be important.

But honestly he didn't care too much.

First Sasuke and Sakura were taken away. He had  _no_ idea what happened to his best friend. And Sakura? He didn't know what to think about her.

Then Hinata lost  _her_  best friends.

And then he lost Hinata.

As if that wasn't enough now he was completely alone.

He heard quiet murmurs around him from the different cells scattered about but even those seemed fainter than usual. From three people a cage to way too many and now to a sparse few.

What the  _hell_ was going on?

The cage doors opened in unison, and Naruto walked robotically out of his cell. It was time for showers. It did give him some sort of peace, as if he could wash away his worries and concerns.

But no matter how much he scrubbed it was never enough.

.

* * *

.

He was sleeping when they brought her back, quiet as a ghost but he was very aware of her arrival. All those experiments they did on him, perhaps to make him resemble some advanced warrior…for who or against what he didn't know but…he heard her return and was up in an instant.

"Hinata," he said under his breath as she staggered into the cage. He could see well enough, even with the dim lighting from the hallway, that she had stark white bandages around her eyes.

"Naruto?" she croaked, reaching her arms out nervously, as if she were unsure it was really him.

He gathered her in her arms, doing his best to be gentle. "Oh god, what did they do to you?" he asked, burying his head into her hair. She smelled good, like some flower scented soap and he could feel her smooth skin as he embraced her.

"Sakura made sure I was taken care off," Hinata answered his unasked question. He felt her fingers grip the back of his clean shirt and felt her tremble in his arms. "Naruto, I missed you."

He held her tighter when she said nothing about pain. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, cheek pressed against his chest. "I can't see but they said that should only be temporary."

He was running his fingers tenderly through her hair. "I was so worried." He didn't even know how to voice his feelings. "Damn it, Hinata. I was so damn scared."

"I'm okay," she said, tilting her head up and placing a kiss in the hollow of his neck. "I'll be okay."

All those days alone allowed him to think on his feelings about the woman he was holding. About the girl he would play with when she lived in the cage across from him. About the friend who suffered with him and was the only bit of sunshine in this never ending nightmare.

"I love you, Hinata."

He felt Hinata freeze. Then her shoulders shook. He looked down immediately, relieved to see she was only laughing.

"Hinata…"

"I'm glad," was all she said. "I'm so glad." Her breath quivered as she tiptoed, lips brushing against his chin. This time it was Naruto's turn to chuckle. "Stop it," she said, smiling. "I can't see, remember? And don't make me cry because my bandages will get wet."

Naruto grinned and leaned down, stopping his lips centimeters from hers, letting her feel his breath. He watched her cheeks redden before shutting his eyes, closing the distance between them and felt himself warm in these cold quarters.

.

* * *

.

"You're so soft," Naruto said after they returned from the showers. They had the choice of sleeping in different bunks but he found himself shifting to her lower one anyway, tucking his blanket under the mattress of the top bunk to make a makeshift curtain.

Hinata laughed softly as his fingers roamed the sensitive skin around her navel.

"And warm," he said, pressing his lips against her throat.

"Less people," she said, combing her fingers through his still damp hair. "More warm water."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, enjoying this little moment between them and almost regretting his next words. "What do you think happened to everyone?" he asked.

"I honestly try not to think of it too much now," she admitted. "I just…it's hard not knowing what's going on."

"I think they escaped," Naruto said, tone hushed.

Hinata stopped her movements. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just optimistic."

Hinata shifted, cupping his face before pulling him down to a kiss. He smiled against her lips, moving atop her. After a few more moments she allowed him to take control. He moved his kisses down her chin to her throat, his fingers grazing her skin.

"You're right," she whispered.

"Hm?" he mumbled, lips still pressed against her skin.

"About our friends," she continued, voice low. "You're right. About some of them."

Naruto halted in his movements, slowly looking up. "What?"

Hinata nodded, pulling his face close again. "Sakura told me."

Naruto frowned. "Why'd you wait?"

"I was scared," she said. "Anyone could be listening."

"So what now?"

"We wait."

.

* * *

.

"Tomorrow."

Naruto turned to his friend, Shikamaru as they entered the showers.

"What?"

"Tomorrow," he repeated.

It took merely a second before Naruto understood. They had been communicating in hushed whispers in the dead of night while the guards strained to stay awake outside the solid door.

"The experiments did strange things to each of us," Shikamaru continued. "You would know from your strength and heightened senses."

Naruto rested his palm on his stomach. He had dreams…visions. He saw orange and fire and he felt  _strong_. He knew he was. The dents he left on the bars so long ago were no fluke.

"Ino heard them talking," Shikamaru explained. "The guards. She heard them in her  _mind_. Tomorrow there will be less of them. Tomorrow is our chance."

.

* * *

.

"Hinata."

Naruto immediately went to the woman he loved when he entered the cage. He drew her towards him for a deep kiss.

"Tomorrow."

Her eyes hardened and she nodded briefly. It would be dangerous, she knew. But how could they build any type of life from inside here? How could she even  _think_  about bringing a child into this type of torture? And she couldn't bear to see the look on Naruto's face when either one of them was taken again to be experimented on.

"I'm ready," she said.

"Tomorrow we either live or die," he said, tenderly caressing her cheek. He led her to the bed, capturing her lips once more. "Tonight we'll  _live_."

.

* * *

.

Their escape would be written down in history books and later burned by the officials that tried to keep everyone isolated and ignorant.

But whispers spread. Rumors grew.

Those explosions and screams-

The outside  _wasn't_  uninhabitable as the prisoners were told.

People had  _escaped_  and people came  _back_.

Getting out of the cages was easy. Naruto tore down the bars of Cage Seven with ease, quickly moving to Cage Nine. As much as it pained him to leave some of the innocents behind they couldn't risk it…they couldn't risk their lives for a promise they weren't sure they could keep.

The promise was freedom. Escape. Life.

But they didn't know if it was true yet.

The screams and yells and bangs were left behind and the small group of five burst through the door, slamming into the few guards stationed in the hall.

Naruto remembered grimly thinking how lucky they were to have been in this section of the prison. If they were where he first started they'd never be able to escape…not without outside help.

They had run down the hall, following Shikamaru's instructions. He had painstakingly memorized ever turn, every door, and every rare window in the place as they had moved to and fro from their cages to the showers. They placed their trust in him and used their unique skill sets to getaway.

The very  _gifts_  forcefully and painfully granted to them by their capturers were their tickets to the outside world.

What was written in those history books?

Some of those who escaped  _returned._

"Naruto. Kiba and Shino aren't  _here_ ," Hinata had said, distraught, as they scoured the remote and hidden refugee towns. They were reunited with Sasuke who had escaped long ago when he was first whisked away. Sasuke, who had kept in contact with Sakura who in turn did her best to leak information to the outside. She had so many opportunities to escape but  _stayed_  to try and treat as many patients as she could. She stayed to help from the inside. She stayed to help find the weak points of their jail of a home.

.

* * *

.

_"Tell it again," Himawari said excitedly, bouncing on her heels._

_Of course, some parts of the story were omitted and too mature for their young daughter to hear. She was young and she was innocent. But they did not raise their children to be ignorant or docile._

_"It's time for bed, Himawari," Hinata said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Enough for tonight, okay? Look, your brother is sound asleep-"_

_"I'm not-"_

_Laughter echoed in the small room. Cozy and little but quite unlike the small cell the mother and father had grown to know so well._

_"Write it down for me next time," Himawari said, yawning, eyes fluttering shut. "So I can read it over and over."_

_._

* * *

_._

The group had returned, ready to fight.

They escaped but it wasn't enough to know others were still suffering.

They had the option to live out their lives quietly and purposefully turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the world. But that is not how change happens.

Change happens when  _people_  do.

And that was written in the books too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Change happens when people do." Words I believe go further than just this fic.


	21. One-Shot 17: Coffee Shop AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We Bean Business was a quaint little café in the large city of Konoha and part of her daily grind. But then he returned into her life and started to take up a latte of her time. Sometimes it's a struggle to espresso yourself. (Horrible use of puns. They certainly won't brew you away).

She actually really enjoyed it here. The simplicity of it but never dull. The smell of roasting coffee in the air mixed with the faint buzz of talking patrons. The fluffy baked goods and glazed sugar lining the display window ready to eat. She was more of a tea person herself, but she could see the allure coffee had on its drinkers. A slightly bitter taste giving you a well deserved boost in the morning. Or a gentle warmth between your fingers as you cradle the mug in one hand and a book in the other.

But mostly she enjoyed people watching.

There was a keen interest she took in watching the people she served, wondering about their triumphs and burdens.

Some looked absolutely dejected as they walked through the door of the coffee shop, dragging their feet along, desperate to get their first dose of badly needed caffeine.

Others were bubbly, skipping in here with groups of friends, ordering some spiced Indian  _chai_  tea (the name which she always found odd because  _chai_  in fact meant tea so these girls would order spiced Indian  _tea tea_ ), sit and take pictures of their drinks, chattering about.

The rare few walked in nervously, glancing at the chalkboard menu above her head, wondering what everything meant. She would always smile kindly at those, knowing full well what it felt like to be overwhelmed by something strange and new. She'd coax them into trying something; help them find their favorite drink- before being scolded by the manager and waiting patrons for taking too long.

"She's trying to  _help_  a customer, jeez," she heard a loud voice. "Be patient. You all are rude."

Hinata glanced over the glowering faces, tiptoeing to see who had come to her defense but only saw a shock of blonde hair mixed in with the rest.

Someone waved some money at her and she apologized, quickly handing the woman her change before slipping away to make her drink. She poured out the icy beverage into a large container before topping it off with a beautiful swirl of whipped cream and drizzling it with caramel. She grabbed a marker and signed off the person's name, adding a little smile as her own personal touch.

"Enjoy," she said sweetly but the customer simply grunted in response, not once taking her eyes off her phone. She grabbed the brew from her hand and sauntered off to a nearby table, texting away.

Soon enough people passed by as a blur as her fellow baristas continued to take orders and customers moved on one by one.

"Hi, welcome to We Bean Business. Can I take your order?" she spoke automatically, closing up the cash register before looking up at her next customer with a friendly smile.

She faltered.

"Hiya," the man before her said, his smile taking up most of his cheeky face. His blue eyes looked exceptionally bright in the dark tones that lit up the friendly neighborhood coffee shop and the bright yellow hair that sat atop of his head in a messy pile- "I'd like the uh…let's see…" He gazed past her at the large chalkboard menu that hung on the wall, humming to himself, looking downright out of place in the café.

"'Scuse me, Hinata." Her coworker, Kiba, brushed past her, reaching to open up the display cabinet to grab a croissant. He glanced up at her current customer. "Naruto?"

Said man looked back down and a grin split his face. "Dog breath!"

"Dog breath?" Hinata whispered but the gears in her mind clicked into place. Why he looked so familiar- but of course she should have known. His whiskers-

"I  _knew_  this place smelled a little funny when I walked in," Naruto continued, laughing loudly.

A faint tut sounded from behind Hinata and she knew without turning it would be her friend Shino. She smiled to herself. The place smelled of sugar and sweets and of roasting coffee beans. Shino made sure it was nothing less than perfect.

"How've you been?" Kiba asked, handing over the packaged food to his customer as patrons looked over shoulders to see what the hold up was. Hinata fidgeted, understanding their frustration. Most were trying to get their morning boost before rushing off to work and right now Naruto was holding up the line.

"Uh, Kiba…" she said softly, trying her best not to be rude but she had to do  _something_.

"You remember Hinata, don't you?" Kiba continued on, pulling her to the side by throwing his arm around her waist. "It's been so  _long_!"

"Of course," Naruto said, his eyes roaming hers once more. "I-" He seemed to suddenly become aware of her growing anxiety and the rude titters from the people behind him. "I'd like a non-fat frappuccino with extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce," he said, giving her a wink.

Hinata almost laughed. That was like the equivalent of asking for a diet soda with an extra large order of a fast food meal. "Okay, and what name do you want me to write?"

"C'mon, Hinata, you know my name."

"Store policy," she said with slight smile. Kurenai, the owner of the establishment, knows just how much people both enjoy and despise the name writing on their orders. In some ways it adds a sense of familiarity and freedom…in others…well, some people just don't care for it. Especially when you spell their name wrong.

"Hm, try Goku," Naruto suggested.

Hinata giggled, unquestioning his response. She had heard some ridiculous names before. This was quite tame in comparison. "Goku it is."

As soon as she handed him his odd drink he shot her another smile before handing her over some money. "Keep the change," he said. "As tip."

He brought the drink to his lips, eyes unwavering, before sending Kiba a quick wave and making his way out of the shop. Hinata's gaze followed his retreating back. He was tall, she realized just now. With a broad back and slim waist-

"I'm surprised you didn't recognize him right away."

"Kiba, please," Hinata said, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Her friend chuckled, handing money to his current customer. "Have a good day," he said amiably. "Elementary school, right?"

"And a  _very_  long time ago," Hinata replied, greeting the person before her as she rang her up. "He's a stranger now."

"He doesn't have to be," Kiba said, sending her a wink as he turned to make some coffee.

Hinata pursed her lips.

 _He_ is _a stranger,_  she thought.  _With a very strange sense of taste._

.

* * *

.

Hinata saw plenty of familiar facesthroughout the week and steadily Naruto Uzumaki became one of them. She wasn't always the one to serve him but he would be sure to send her a friendly smile on his way out at the least. She had wondered, if only briefly, what he was doing back in their town. He had left long ago to go live with a relative and attend some other school as far as she knew and had lost contact with him. Well… she had never really spoken too much with him. But she remembered, with slight embarrassment, how she admired him from afar.

" _Hinata!_ "

Hinata gasped, feeling a sharp pain in her hand as the dark roast coffee she was pouring out into a cup overflowed.

"Shit, are you alright?" she heard Kiba's voice but her eyes were trained on her trembling hand.

Immediately, Shino was at her side, guiding her towards the sink. "Cool water," he said, looking at her sharply. She could see the wrinkles on his forehead creased in concern. "Twenty minutes."

"But-"

"No buts, Hinata," he said.

"It's only a little-"

"-Kurenai will have our heads-" Kiba was shouting.

"Just keep it cool," Shino said with a level head. "I don't know what has you distracted-"

"-I do-" Hinata shot Kiba a frown but the man just grinned toothily, before looking down at her reddening skin worriedly.

"Go handle the customers," Hinata said softly, gingerly touching her skin. She could tell it wasn't going to be too big of a problem but figured she might as well humor Shino. He was only looking after her. "Mine ordered a small dark roast brew."

"Cream?" Kiba questioned, moving to wipe up her station and pour a fresh batch. "Sugar?"

"Just black."

Kiba's gaze moved to see the man who ordered. A tall, slim man, with light colored hair and bright blue eyes. He was looking over at the mess with a look of surprise, concern evident on his face.

"I'm sorry to have caused this trouble," he said sincerely, voice smooth as the coffee she had been pouring.

"Ah, it's not your fault," Kiba said sheepishly. "Accidents happen. Sorry for the wait."

"Take your time," the man continued, looking at his former barista's back. "Is she okay?"

"Hinata? She'll be fine," Kiba said, capping the drink. "She's a tough one, she is." The man smiled. It was small and in some ways unnerved the red tattooed young man but he returned the gesture. "Whom can I make this out to?" Kiba asked, flourishing his black marker.

The man smiled. "Toneri."

.

* * *

.

Kiba furiously wiped down the counters as Shino took orders. He chatted graciously with some of the guests as he cleared their empty plates and swept the floor. Shino was taking orders, pressing them into the cashier and doling out cups of coffees like a machine. There was a reason Kurenai put him in charge but nonetheless it certainly was more work without Hinata.

Kiba pulled up a stool and sat down on it heavily, letting out a relieved sigh. The morning rush hour was over and now they could take a short little breather.

"Pass me my water bottle will you?" Kiba asked his friend, pointing to the back counter.

"That'll be 4.49," Shino stated, sliding the drink over.

Kiba snorted. "I can never get over when you joke, Shino."

His words seemed to get no reaction out of his friend other than the almost imperceptible twitch of his lips but Kiba knew he had him.

The room echoed with the sound of the bell chiming as someone pushed open the door.

"Hello, welcome to-"

"We Bean Business," came a familiar voice. "Cute name. Very  _punny_."

Kiba felt a grin form on his face as he swiveled in his chair. "Naruto!" he raised his hand in greeting and the blond gave him a high five.

"Hey, shouldn't you be working?" Naruto teased, walking up to the register.

"Everyone here has their order," Kiba said, indicating to the almost empty café.

"Except me," Naruto said, grinning.

"If you order something crazy-" Kiba started slowly.

Naruto scoffed. "You'd have to make it anyway."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "True. Poor Hinata's usually stuck with your ridiculous coffee order. She tells me it's never the same."

Naruto grinned wickedly. "What can I say? I like things spontaneous."

"Sounds to me like you have no knowledge when it comes to all things coffee."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Maybe. Don't tell her that though."

"Why would it matter?" Kiba asked slyly, returning to his position with Shino behind the bar.

Naruto seemed a little taken aback. "Uh, well. It doesn't I guess. I don't know."

"What would you like, Naruto?" Shino interjected, deciding to relieve the poor guy from Kiba's taunts.

"Uh," Naruto's gaze drifted to Shino's nametag. "Shino…"

"You forgot my name," Shino theorized.

"No, no," Naruto protested, shaking his head and laughing nervously. "No." They were quiet with the exception of a few faint conversations running about the room.

"I'm not too offended," Shino finally lied. "If I remember correctly you would do this very thing even when we were in the same class."

"Sorry, Shino. I was a bratty kid," Naruto said apologetically.

"Hinata would disagree," Kiba said innocently, taking a sip of his water.

"What?" Naruto quipped, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Kiba repeated.

The bell chimed again and Naruto glanced back as a few customers entered, chatting with each other.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll have a caramel iced coffee? Cream and sugar?" Naruto said with a cock of his head.

"Are you  _asking_  us?" Kiba said coyly.

Shino typed up the order and swiftly went to work.

"God, shouldn't you be nicer to your customers?" Naruto wondered, leaning against the counter.

Kiba laughed. "Well, we're friends aren't we?"

Naruto smiled. "We are." Naruto hesitated. "Speaking of friends…where's Hinata?"

"Shino and Kurenai forced her to take a few days off," Kiba said, moving to take the next customers order.

"Why?" Naruto asked with confusion, straightening his back. "Thanks Shino," he said, smiling at the shaded man as he handed him his cold drink. He noticed he had simply written Uzumaki onto the cup. And no smiley like Hinata normally would.

"She burned herself," Shino replied as Kiba joked with the girls who had entered.

"What?" Naruto said, eyes narrowing and turning sharp at once. "Burned herself how?"

"Just a coffee spill," Shino explained, eyes not wavering from Naruto's form. He seemed to relax a little.

"First degree?" Naruto questioned rapidly.

"I don't know."

"What did it look like? Like a sunburn? What's she doing to treat it?"

"Jeez, Naruto. What are you? Like some burn expert?" Kiba questioned as he fixed some drinks.

Naruto slowed down and forced himself to unwind. He took a shaky sip from his drink before chuckling lowly. "You could say that."

.

* * *

.

"Thank god your back," Kiba exclaimed, throwing himself against Hinata's back, arms dangling over her shoulders. "I don't have to spend the day all alone with  _Shino!_ "

Hinata giggled as she curved under his weight. "I would love to spend the day with Shino."

"Thank you, Hinata," Shino stated, flipping the closed sign on the door to open.

"I love you, Shino," Hinata said casually, moving towards her friend for a hug as Kiba continued to cling to her, dragging his feet behind.

"How's your hand?" Kiba asked, peeking over Hinata and Shino's shoulder at her bandaged hand pressed against Shino's back. "Lemme get in here," Kiba grunted, wrapping his arms around Shino's neck.

"I'm squished," Hinata squeaked.

"Good," both boys said at the same time.

The bell above the door tinkled and the three hopped apart.

"This is some weird ass café, let me tell you that."

"Good morning, Naruto," Hinata greeted immediately, pink gracing her cheeks.

"Morning," he grinned. "Glad to see you're back. They don't make coffee as nice as you."

"What do you  _mean_?" Kiba shouted, throwing up his hands. "You never order the same thing twice. How can you even  _compare_?"

Naruto laughed. "Hinata makes hers with love, am I right Hinata?" he leaned towards the girl, who leaned back, stuttering.

"Uh, yes. Maybe- I don't-"

"What do you want today?" Kiba questioned. "We'll both make it and you'll taste it blind."

"Who's going to pay for the second one, Kiba?" Shino asked, moving to counter.

"Loser pays," Kiba said with a grin. "Either me or Hinata. You up for it?"

All three men looked at the petite woman before them and she fidgeted slightly under their gaze.

"Okay."

.

* * *

.

"Unfair," Kiba mumbled for the umpteenth time. "Un _fair_."

Hinata laughed, smiling fondly at her customer as she handed him a bagged treat and signed drink. "Take care," she said with a wave.

"Tell us how it is unfair," Shino asked, drizzling some chocolate sauce on a frosty drink.

"Naruto was  _biased_."

"Naruto didn't know," Hinata giggled, leaning against the counter as she watched the customers read a book or scroll through their phones or talk amongst themselves.

Kiba snorted. "I don't know. He cheated somehow."

Hinata shook her head, eyes moving as a familiar face walked past their café window. The person glanced inside, pausing to read the menu before his eyes moved to hers. She smiled, hoping it would be enough to lure him inside.

The bell tinkled.

"Welcome to We Bean Business," she greeted cheerfully to the white haired man.

"Hinata," he said slowly, letting her name roll off his tongue. "I believe that's your name."

Hinata nodded, pointing to her nametag. "That would be a very good guess," she said happily.

His crystal blue eyes, that she couldn't help compare to Naruto's, followed her movement- lingering on the bandages around her fingers.

"I apologize for the other day," he said and suddenly she remembered why he looked so familiar.

"Oh! It wasn't your fault at all," she said humbly. "I was distracted. Please, don't blame yourself."

The man smiled somberly. "Could I trouble you for another dark roast?"  
Hinata nodded. "Of course! No cream and no sugar?"

The man chuckled. "Precisely. Promise to be careful?"

Hinata laughed gently. "I'll do my best."

Kiba and Shino were watching the exchange with careful eyes before someone came up to Kiba to ask for more napkins and another to Shino for a cookie.

"Whom do I make this out to?" Hinata asked, holding her marker steady.

"Toneri," the man said, smiling gently.

"Toneri," Hinata repeated, scribbling the letters on before handing it over to him graciously. "There! That's $3.45."

Toneri pulled out a sleek black wallet and handed her a five-dollar bill before grabbing another handful of bills and stuffing it into the tip jar. Hinata watched the twenties unfurl and the coins clatter to the daily emptied jar with wide eyes.

"I-you shouldn't have," she said, speechless, tightening her hold on the small bill in her grasp.

"For your hand," he said truthfully. "And the exceptional service." He bid her a fond farewell before heading back out the café and that's when Kiba swooped in.

"We should put you out front," Kiba said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "With Akamaru occasionally."

"What? Why?" Hinata asked, trying to slip away.

"You attract so many guys," Kiba said bluntly.

Hinata's face heated up. "I do  _not_."

"Okay," Kiba said in a singsong voice. "Sureeee."

.

* * *

.

"I'll take a triple, half sweet, non-fat, caramel Macchiato."

Now Hinata was no stranger to obnoxious orders and she was starting to get used to the fact that Naruto did his best to push her buttons. She had overheard a few moments when it was either Kiba or Shino who had to ring him up and they had  _easy_  orders. Maybe a simple coffee with milk and sugar or sometimes just a Danish. But every time, without exception, he pulled these stunts on her.

But she smiled because she was a  _good_  barista and a  _good_  server. "Of course."

"Thank you, Hinata," he said just a tad bit too smugly.

She made the drink with surprising ease and he took the time to watch her. She didn't understand  _why_  he did this. Why did he want her to make the most complicated and time consuming drinks he could think of? The most ridiculous combinations and sometimes even gross…

Hinata reached over to grab a marker and went to write his name when his voice stopped her.

"You aren't going to ask for my name?" he asked innocently.

Hinata shut her eyes for a brief second and took a steady inhale. "What is it today, Naruto?" she asked. "Luke? Darth Vader? Aang? Batman? Or maybe Percy? Jon Snow? Daredevil?  _Bob_? Rick? Sherlock? The Doctor?"

Naruto watched her as the words spilled out of her mouth faster and faster, and the smile on his face grew with just as much speed.

"Superman? Grey? Barry? I don't know maybe Eleven? Elric? Adrien?"

"Come on, Adrien was a good one," he interrupted. "We're both blond-"

"Name please?"

Even Naruto wasn't dense enough to not notice she had reached her limit.

"Perhaps a simple Harry today?" he asked slowly, almost captiously.

Hinata hesitated. "Potter?" Naruto nodded. "Is this based on his personality or looks?" she asked as she scribbled the name.

"I didn't think about it," he said with a shrug. "I guess I should have picked Malfoy if it was looks…"

"Harry's fine," she said. "You're both brave…" she trailed off and cleared her throat. "Your drink," she said, sliding it across the counter and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He noticed the tinge of red on her cheeks and was wondering what she had thought of.

"Hinata…"

"I need to take the next customers order," she said apologetically.

Naruto smiled softly. "Yeah, okay." A quiet but urgent beep sounded from his pocket and his face fell. "Next time," he said, sending her a quick wave before  _running_  out the door.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted behind him, scrambling for his order. "Your drink-"

But the door had already shut and he left her view.

And in the distance she saw smoke.

.

* * *

.

Naruto didn't come back for a while after that and Hinata surprisingly found herself  _missing_  him. Not the orders but his bright aura and happy personality. His simple  _being_  brightened up the little café and she'd be lying if she said she didn't find herself turning to every chime of the bell in hopes of seeing the blond man enter.

"Good morning, Hinata."

Hinata was ripped out of her thoughts because of the smiling man before her.

"Good morning, Toneri," Hinata greeted. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here again. Shall I get you the usual?"

"Exactly," he said with a steady smile. "You know just how I like it."

.

* * *

.

"Kiba tells me you were really anxious while I wasn't around."

Hinata stiffened. "I wasn't anxious… I was just worried about your coffee dependency."

Naruto snorted. "I'm not  _dependent_ on coffee."

"Your daily visits would say otherwise," Hinata answered as she handed him a cinnamon roll.

"Maybe I'm addicted to something else," Naruto suggested, slowly licking the white icing off the pastry that Hinata still held out, eyes glued to hers.

Hinata felt herself blush all the way to the tips of her ears. All the words that were on her tongue caught in her throat and her mind was wiped blank.

"I think you broke her," came Kiba's voice and stifling laughter.

That shocked her back into gear and she pushed the dessert into Naruto's hand as he yelped in surprise, the gooey topping sticking all over his hand.

"ENJOY!" she said, voice surprisingly shrill.

She still felt herself glowing red and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

.

* * *

.

"So where have you been?"

A few days passed since Naruto's return.

"Working," he replied, taking a sip of his normal iced coffee, the word Uzumaki scrawled on the side. "Just picked up a few extra shifts last week as my coworker…took a break."

"What do you do?" she asked curiously as she cleaned the empty tables around him.

"Mm, my job consists of a lot of things," he said offhandedly. "I'm a jack of all trades!"

"You're avoiding the question," she said, shooting him a smile. A  _gorgeous_  smile if anyone asked him. So simple and so absolutely  _normal_  but so innocent and so  _Hinata_. He stuttered and she looked at him with a tilt of her head. "You okay?"

"You can't just  _do_  that," he mumbled, hunching over his drink.

"Do what?" she asked, moving closer.

"Don't you have customers?" he asked, avoiding her gaze.

Hinata blinked at him, noticing the tips of his ears were red. "I guess so."

.

* * *

.

Hinata arrived at the coffee shop dressed up in a simple dress and long sleeve cardigan. She wore light makeup and stood nervously at the door, fidgeting with her purse.

"You act like you're a stranger here," Kiba said, watching her from over the counter. He rolled his eyes as his friend spooked and looked over at him as if she were stabbed.

"It's…it's just been a while, okay, Kiba?" she said in a hushed voice as she moved up towards him. "And I'm not used to being the one on  _this_  side of the arrangement."

Kiba snorted as he picked up a cloth to wipe down some tables.

"Don't worry." It was Shino this time. He stepped out from the backroom and approached his female friend who was fretting nervously. "It's only coffee."

"It's just…" Hinata sighed, looking into Shino's dark shades with sad eyes. "I don't know how I feel yet…"

"That's what these dates are for," Shino said simply. "Do not worry. You'll be fine."

"Yeah," came Kiba once more, balancing plates and cups in his tray. "And if something  _really_  goes badly I'll walk by and accidentally spill some drink on him. It's all good."

"Kiba!" Hinata chastised, looking affronted.

Their chatter came to a stop when the bell chimed and Hinata whipped around, smiling nervously as the man in previous question approached her.

"I'm glad to see you, Hinata," Toneri said, gesturing for her hand, which she gave. He brought it up to give her a chaste kiss and she couldn't help but feel flustered. "You look stunning."

"Ah, thank you," she said softly as her fingers fell away from his. "Shall we take a seat?"

Kiba and Shino watched as the pair walked over to a table near the window.

"Our little Hinata is growing up," Kiba said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

.

* * *

.

Hinata grabbed the can of whipped cream and put a gracious amount onto the current drink she was making. She topped it off with a plastic lid and walked back over to the customer, signing their name with a flourish and adding a small smiley face before handing it away.

"Have a nice day," she said, eyes bright.

"You're happy," Kiba said, stuffing some bills into his cash register.

"It's a nice day," Hinata said, looking out of the large window at the bright blue sky. "So sunny."

"It's too hot," Shino said, bringing out freshly baked goods from the kitchen and setting them beside the display.

"I can handle the oven if you want Shino," Hinata offered, moving to help him.

For a while they worked in silence, listening to the faint buzz of the people in the café, the crinkles of paper as someone flipped through a book, the chink of utensils. Hinata found herself looking outside a lot that day as the smells of roasting coffee and melted sugar invaded her nose. She sighed content as she leaned against the worktop, watching kids rush home from school and people lingering about.

"It's been a while since he came hasn't it?" Kiba asked, waving as a few of their regulars left the store.

"Who?" Hinata asked, looking at her friend. "Naruto?"

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Well, yes. I guess. But I was talking about your…you know…new  _boyfriend_. Toneri? Remember  _him_?

Hinata felt her cheeks heat up. "He is  _not_  my boyfriend," she mumbled.

"But you have been spending quite some time with him, have you not?" Hinata turned to see Shino join in their conversation as well.

"He asked me for coffee," she said faintly. "I couldn't say no…"

Kiba laughed. "I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything. He seems like a nice guy. Leaves  _really_  nice tips."

Hinata pouted, eyes moving to look outside again, the bright blue sky now blemished with greying clouds. She didn't know why she thought he was speaking of… She sighed, picking at some spilled coffee beans on the counter.

"But you  _are_  right," Kiba continued slowly, leaving their area. He was careful with his next choice of words. "It has been a while since we've seen Naruto."

.

* * *

.

Hinata was rolling out the dough for freshly baked cinnamon rolls when she heard Kiba grumbling under his breath as he passed by to go to their small lounge tucked away in the back.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sprinkling a generous amount of sugar for the filling.

"I don't understand why people leave their trash lying around so much," he said, his voice growing fainter as he moved into the room.

Hinata laughed softly to herself. "I'll clear the tables after this."

"You are a godsend, Hinata," she heard him shout as he rummaged through the cabinets in the back, no doubt searching for a snack. She heard Akamaru's barks as he greeted his owner. Kiba didn't often bring his pet to the café but they occasionally let him roam in the workers lounge. They liked to consider We Bean Business a family run store because they certainly considered each other as family.

After popping in the desserts into the oven Hinata quickly rinsed her hands and made her way back to the front. She immediately noticed which table had Kiba so frustrated. A group had come by that morning, loud and obnoxious. Drinks were spilled, leaving sticky streaks on the dark, elegant wood. Crumbs and used napkins littered the surrounding floor.

With a sigh she pushed up her sleeves and got to work. She tossed all the napkins into the trash, which happened to be  _right_ next to the current table she realized with disdain. But it irked her even more that there were unused napkins in the mix as well.

"What a waste," she mumbled to herself before realizing she said that out loud. It wasn't often she got upset and she wasn't necessarily angered but there's only so much a person can handle day after day.

She quickly cleared up the plates, cups, and utensils and tossed them into the sink.

"I'll handle these," Shino offered.

"Thanks Shino," she said with relief.

She swiftly returned to work, dropping a wet cloth onto the table before picking up a crumpled newspaper left on one of the chairs, stained with coffee rings and sticky with brown sugar.

The title on the front page stood out with its large, bulky letters. "Afternoon Fire Lands Fireman in Hospital." She frowned, eyes roving the paper. "No word on his condition… Family grateful… Saved a child… No word from the chief but bystanders say he went back in…Arm badly burned…"

By the time she reached the end her eyebrows were knit together and a frown was prominent on her face.

"Continued on page three," she read aloud. Curious, she flipped through the pages only to look at the soaked and torn page in disgust. There was no way she could make out any of that. She tossed the newspaper into the trash and went back to scrubbing the table, doing her best to make it shine.

Her nose twitched. She could smell the aroma from the cinnamon buns baking away but also thought she could detect a hint of burning.

.

* * *

.

Kiba glanced over to the white haired man seated at one of the outdoor tables. Nothing by his demeanor would show he was a young man who had been waiting for a young lady for the better part of an hour.

"Where is she?" Kiba hissed to Shino as he joined him at his side.

"It is not like her to be late," Shino agreed.

"Think I should give him a cup of coffee?" Kiba said warily, feeling bad for the man. Shino said nothing but Kiba moved to brew him some of the classic dark roast Toneri seemed to like so much. "I don't think Hinata really…" Kiba trailed off and sighed, grabbing a cup.

"I don't think she does either," Shino said, understanding Kiba's train of thought. "Speaking of Hinata…"

Shino tapped him on the shoulder and Kiba looked out the window once more just in time to see Hinata run across the street, apologizing profusely to the man. Toneri stood up immediately and though they couldn't hear the little exchange they watched the pair with interest. Hinata bowed deeply, hair covering her face and Toneri moved towards her, urging her to look at him. They watched him shake his head and Hinata gave him a small smile before the two gave each other a hug.

.

* * *

.

"So why were you late?" Kiba asked Hinata the following day when she returned to work at the coffee shop.

"I went to the hospital," she admitted. "And lost track of time."

"Wait, the hospital?  _Why_?"

Hinata bit her lip. "I was doing a favor for my sister and was going to come straight over here when I was done but the television was on and I saw on the news…" She trailed off and Kiba exhaled sharply.

"Hinata, don't leave me hanging like this."

"It's Naruto," she finally said, voice small. "Apparently he got hurt in that big fire that happened a few weeks ago."

A pause.

"Is he alright?" Shino spoke up, voice low and calm and strangely comforting.

Hinata shrugged. "I didn't realize the time but I left right away to the hospital." She hesitated. "I don't know why," she said, voice low. "It just…I always…He wasn't even there."

"Even after all these years, Hinata?" Kiba asked, placing a gentle hand on her back.

Hinata shrugged, biting her lip nervously. "I don't know," she said. "It doesn't make any sense."

Shino's voice came low and deep. "Since when do hearts ever make sense?"

.

* * *

.

Shino noticed Hinata was a bit antsy. During the beginning of her shift she went about business as usual but then…

"Hinata, are you alright?"

"Ah, Shino. I'm fine," she said, smiling up at him. "Why do you ask?"

"You keep looking to the door," he explained.

"Oh," she said, eyes shifting away from his. "I was just watching people pass by."

Muffled laughter sounded from behind them as Kiba walked in, dusting flour off his apron. "Sure you were." Hinata frowned at her teasing friend. "She's looking for a  _particular_  someone."

"Kiba!"

"Yup, Shino," Kiba said dramatically, throwing his arm around the brown haired mans shoulder. "Naruto normally came in around this time so…"

"And why do  _you_  know Naruto's schedule?" Shino asked, saving Hinata of some embarrassment.

Kiba spluttered as he scrambled for a response.

.

* * *

.

It took a long while but Naruto finally returned.

"We match," he said, pulling up his sleeve. He flexed his right hand, uncurling his fingers from a fist as he positioned his white, bandaged wrapped arm flat against the table, almost reaching out for her.

"My bandages were removed ages ago," she said quietly, feeling tears gather in the corners of her eyes.

"Hinata," Naruto said swiftly, scrambling for words as he took in her expression. "What-"

"You're hurt," she said hoarsely. "And I- and I just finished complaining about your stupid  _order_."

Naruto felt a tightness in his chest that he couldn't explain. "Ah, don't worry about that. You know I'm just messing with you right? I haven't ordered something too ridiculous in a while."

She shook her head, squeezing her hands in her lap. "You could have  _died_."

"It's my job, Hinata."

"I know that," she said, taking a shuddering breath. Well, she knew that  _now_. Previously she had just assumed he was one of the people in the building when, in fact, he was a firefighter trying to  _save_ the people from the fire. Now some of his odd behavior and his rushing out of the café made more sense. She laughed emptily. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"With what?"

"With  _this_ ," she said, gesturing at nothing in particular. "With  _me_. I'm sorry. I don't know why I got all…" she trailed off, wiping at her eyes before plastering on a smile even he could tell was false. She took a deep shuddering breath. "You know…I always have admired your bravery and perseverance," she said, picking at the table.

"You only just learned what I do," he said with a chuckle.

Hinata shook her head. "I mean when we were kids," she said softly. "You…you saved me. In more ways then one. And you didn't even know."

Naruto was silent. "You can tell me."

Hinata laughed, almost mockingly, more at herself than him. "It's nothing."

Naruto frowned at her. "Do you mean the day with the bullies?" When she looked up at him with wide eyes he knew he hit the mark.  
"You remember?"

He chuckled nervously, scratching his cheeks and she watched his movement, running her eyes over his whiskers. "Honestly, I only just thought of it."

She nodded, understanding. "It was a small thing," she admitted. "But…important." He waited, wanting to hear more.  _Needing_  to. "And a few years later…you were gone."

"I moved," he explained. "My parents…" he cleared his throat. "Well, they're uh…gone. Died in a fire. Arson. Pretty sure."

"I'm so sorry," she said in a whisper, moving to grasp his hands to offer comfort in some way.

He grinned. "It's fine. I came back. Started working at Konoha's Fire Department. Reconnected with some of our old classmates and well, learned about Kurenai's little coffee shop." He snorted. "Also…We Bean Business?  _So_  corny."

"Hey," Hinata said, giggling. "We bean business… we  _mean_ business…I happen to like puns."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "With all the coffee related humor in the world you guys choose this… Could have easily went with  _any_ thing else."

"You still come  _here_  though," she said, almost teasing. "Our beans must have something you like."

"Please," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. He felt some of the tension from the start of their conversation die down and understood that she was hurting but he needed  _her_  to understand… "I'm not even a huge fan of coffee."

A slight look of offense crossed the young woman's face and he was  _glad_  because that meant she wasn't as sad.

"Wait, hear me out," he said as he noticed she went to speak. "But I still kept coming back didn't I?" He paused but she sat resolute. "And I sure as hell wasn't coming back for those two back there," Naruto said indicating at Hinata's two best friends obviously listening in.

Kiba turned swiftly on his feet, whistling innocuously and Shino looked up at the ceiling, running a cloth against an already clean cup over and over.

Hinata couldn't help but smile at their antics. " _I_  come for them," she said fondly.

"I come for someone else," he said, eyes glued to hers.

Hinata felt her heart flutter in her chest as she took in the man before her. The light shone bright at his back, creating a halo around him. He exuded warmth and felt it reflect red on her pale cheeks.

"You can't mean…"

"I do," Naruto said, reaching forward once more, waiting for her to make the next move. When she didn't he hesitated and pulled back just the slightest. "I see."

"Naruto…"

Naruto chuckled and took a deep breath. "Ah, it's fine, Hinata."

"It's not you," she said quietly.

Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "That classic line, eh?"

Hinata glanced down at the table, scuffing her shoe against the floor. "I  _do_  like you," she said, voice so low even he strained to hear it. "It's just…I already…I'm already in a relationship?"

She didn't dare look at his face. She didn't know what she felt. He heard the uncertainty in her words but he dared not let it overcome him. He had to respect her feelings and he would…but…

"I see."

A beat.

"What's his name?"

"Naruto," Hinata said exasperatedly, finally looking up at him. Why would he do this to himself?

Naruto chuckled. "I wish that was his name." Hinata blushed. He looked at her, eyes fierce. "I'm not going to do anything that'll hurt either one of you," he said. "But I'm also not going to give up on you," he confessed.

His stark admission made her catch her breath. It was too much.  _He_  was too much. Too good.

When he left Hinata sat alone for much longer.

She understood a little more now.

Why she was so sad.

It was guilt.

While Naruto was recuperating and healing she was spending time with another man.

And yet, her heart was elsewhere.

"I'm terrible," Hinata spoke aloud.

"Shut up."

Kiba came up behind her, sliding into the seat previously occupied by… Hinata groaned into her hands.

"Here," Shino said, placing a cup of simple tea in front of her. "Chai. I know how you like it."

"I'm hurting him," Hinata said, looking at her two best friends in defeat.

"If he can take on a fire, he can take on a broken heart," Kiba supposed.

"I mean… I'm hurting them both," Hinata admitted. "It's not fair to Toneri that I…"

Shino raised an eyebrow at her hesitation. "That you…?"

Hinata wavered, wrapping her hand around the warm cup, letting the heat run through her.

"I don't know."

.

* * *

.

Lately Hinata had been getting his order wrong.

I mean it was obvious she wasn't doing it on  _purpose_. She just seemed to get more and more flustered around him every time he came into the café.

The first time she spilled his drink he was relieved he had ordered iced coffee that day.

"Hinata,  _please_. I don't want to be taking you to the emergency room for burns," Naruto said as she frantically grabbed napkins to soak up the liquid now all over the counter. She was bright red and avoided his eyes and just squeaked out a small apology before rushing to make his order again.

He watched her and she added a bit more sugar than he asked for but when he tried it, it was  _delicious_.  
"Thanks," he said, smiling graciously.

Still she avoided his eyes, cheeks dark.

It made him smile.

.

* * *

.

He kept coming back regularly as he did before. He wasn't  _oblivious_  to her change in demeanor but he sure as hell wasn't going to change his schedule just because there was a bump in the round. (That bump being Toneri but Naruto did his best to not think about him too much).

"Where's Hinata?" Naruto asked, moving up to the counter.  _"Please_ , tell me she didn't spill hot coffee on herself again."

Kiba snorted, wrapping up a thick slice of French toast for his current customer. "Nah, she's just in the kitchen. Want me to get her?"

Naruto shook his head and leaned in close, his voice a whisper. "Between you and me she sort of sucks at her job," he said.

"I'm not above fighting on her behalf, Naruto," Kiba said, rolling his eyes at the blond's antics. He knew his childhood friend was kidding but this was Hinata they were talking about.

"Well, she's been getting my orders wrong," Naruto said, sighing dramatically.

"You don't know what you're ordering half the time," Kiba proclaimed with a roll of his eyes.

"Exactly!" Naruto exclaimed as if it made any sense of all. "And whatever she's doing—it's  _amazing_."

"And that makes her a bad worker,  _how_?"

"I don't know. She's not exactly following what I ask for," Naruto said with a shrug. He moved in closer and lowered his voice. "But I like what she does  _way_  better."

"So you keep coming back for the wrong order?" Kiba asked with a quirk of his brow.

"Exactly!"

.

* * *

.

Both Kiba and Shino have been watching their female friend for the past couple of weeks. She'd been relatively normal when it came to working at the café except when…

The little bell above the front door sounded once again as Uzumaki Naruto walked in, in all his shining glory. Only this time he seemed to be dressed in uniform. Not all the protective gear he would wear during an actual emergency but a simple logoed uniform he probably wore around the department.

The two boys watched Hinata glance up at the new customer and right after fumble with the marker she was currently capping.

"N-Naruto, welcome," she stuttered out and they could see the telltale sign of red creeping up the back of her neck visible only because she chose to tie her hair up in a ponytail that day.

Naruto flashed a mouth full of dazzling teeth at her before stepping up to the counter. "Morning, Hinata!" he exclaimed, glancing around the room. "Slow day?"

The girl swallowed, furiously wiping her newly black streaked hand with a paper towel. "Ah, no. You missed the morning rush," she said.

Naruto chuckled. "I got called in early today."

"To save a cat from a tree?" Hinata managed to joke.

Kiba and Shino exchanged a look, proud that the young woman seemed to be getting back to her normal self.

Naruto laughed boisterously. "That's not  _all_  we do you know."

"I guess you occasionally put out fires?" Hinata speculated. She sighed, raising her now dirtied hand up to the light. Her attempt at cleaning seemed to do nothing but rub the ink around. She tossed the paper towel into the trash before smiling nervously at the man before her. "Anything I can get for a man in uniform?"

Naruto grinned and Kiba rolled his eyes when he noticed the blond subtly flex, putting a strain on his already well fitted shirt. But it seemed to  _work_  on Hinata because her blush continued to travel to the tips of her ears.

"You know," Naruto said slowly. "I was always a fan of orange but red really suits you." That seemed to be the final nail in Hinata's coffin. Her face lit up a bright scarlet and she sputtered out a sound of incredulous surprise, completely unsure as to how to respond. "But nah," Naruto continued, ignoring her reaction but inside he was deeply pleased. He rubbed his nose before taking a step back towards the door. "I just stopped by to say hi to some of my favorite baristas," he said, waving at Kiba and Shino who were shamelessly watching the whole scene play out. "I have to go save a kitten from a tree."

Hinata stood frozen like a statue the entire time as Naruto left the café, chuckling to himself. Kiba approached his friend warily.

"You know…you never acted this way around him before," he said, poking her shoulder to try to bring her back to life.

Shino approached, shaking his head. "You're wrong. Why? Because I clearly remember the last time Hinata acted like…"

"Like a fool?" Kiba supplied, snorting.

This seemed to shake Hinata out of her daze. "Kiba,  _please_ ," she pouted, pushing at his chest gently. "I can't…I don't know. I can't help it."

"Wait, so what're you talking about, Shino?"

The brown haired man pushed up his spectacles, a hint of a smile on his face. "If I remember correctly, Hinata acted just like this years ago when she was infatuated with the  _younger_  version of Naruto Uzumaki."

There was silence.

And then a grin split on Kiba's face as he leaned in close to his female friend, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Hinata's in  _loveeeee_ ," he teased, poking her nose.

"I am  _not_!"

"She's in  _loveee_ ," he continued, prancing around the little space they had.

"Kiba!" Hinata whispered furiously, glancing around at the other patrons in the café, who had started to look curiously over at the laughter and pleading cries. Hinata apologized to the small crowd before frowning at her best friends.

"You like him!" Kiba finished, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I mean, you always did when we were little—"

"That was a  _long_  time ago—"

"And it happened  _again_ —"

"Shino, make him stop—"

"I cannot, Hinata," the shaded man said. "Because all that he is saying is true. Even if you will not admit it to yourself."

.

* * *

.

"So…"

How the tables have turned.

Shino and Kiba peeked out from the back room, watching as Naruto fidgeted nervously as Hinata swept the floor near his table. His leg was shaking nervously and Hinata cast him a glance over her shoulder, quirking her eyebrow in question.

"Yes?"  
Naruto cleared his throat and picked at his bandages. He had been insisting he was better. The bandages were just there because those happened to be more aesthetically pleasing than when his arm was bare. Hinata had assured him that that scar was something he should be proud of. "Uh, well. How's, you know…Toneri?"

Hinata's two best friends eyes widened, almost comically, as they watched the pair. There was an almost palpable tension in the air between them.

"I'm not sure," Hinata replied slowly, returning to her job as she wiped the dust from the hardwood floors.

"You're…you're not sure?" Naruto questioned, seeming to gain some of the color back into his skin. "What do you mean? Isn't he your boyfriend?" His mouth twisted into a frown as if the thought continually disgusted him.

Hinata hesitated. "No. He's not. I…I broke up with him the day after…after you came back."

"Did you know that?" Kiba whispered to Shino frantically. "I didn't know that! Did  _you_?"

Shino shook his head mutedly and manually maneuvered Kiba's head back towards the couple.

Naruto was looking up at the woman with an unreadable expression. Hope?

"You did, huh…"

Her back was to him but he noticed the way she pressed her shoulders together as she worked, almost cowering. She was  _afraid_. Of what? Rejection?

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Naruto asked, voice low. The two eavesdroppers could barely make him out over the other conversations going on around them.

"Perhaps we should not listen anymore," Shino suggested, though he remained firmly where he was.

Kiba snorted. "You leave if you want to but I know you want to see this as badly as I do."

"Hinata," Naruto's voice came again as he reached out for her, fingers brushing the bow on her apron. "Sit with me."

The dark hair woman straightened and took a brief moment for herself before gently laying the broom against the wall. She slid into the seat across from Naruto, flattening out the wrinkles on her coffee stained and crumb-covered apron before hesitantly meeting her eyes.

"It wouldn't have been fair to either one of you," she whispered, looking forlorn. "Why did you keep coming back?" she asked.

"I've been known to never give up," Naruto said with a small smile. Hinata laughed softly, suddenly remembering their time together as kids. "But I have to admit...I'm not asking for your hand in marriage or anything," Naruto said, not even trying to hide the fact that he was teasing.

Hinata blushed pink. "I-I wasn't implying you were!"

Naruto ignored her words and continued on. "Well, at least not yet," he said with a finger on his chin, pretending to be in deep thought. Meanwhile Hinata took a deep breath, praying she wouldn't succumb to her childhood tendency of fainting around the whisker marked man before her. "Maybe we can start slow," Naruto said, reaching out for her once more.

This time he was happy to see she returned his gesture. His fingers curled along with hers and he relished the warmth from her hands for a moment. Now he was a fireman. He was no stranger to heat. But the steady pulse and her soft skin felt pleasant against his rough, calloused ones. Naruto swallowed thickly, his blue eyes meeting with her unique pale ones.

"Would you do me the honor of letting me take you out for some coffee?"

Hinata smiled.

.

* * *

.

.

.

"Don't say it, Kiba." Shino shot his friend a sharp look as Kiba tried to bottle down his squeals.

"They-"

"Kiba,  _don't_ -"

But alas, he didn't listen.

"They're in  _looooveee_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this was a lighter fic but I really enjoyed writing Team 8.
> 
> Thanks to the following for their ideas. I took some creative liberty with them though because most of the fic was already written when I saw the prompts. Thanks so much:
> 
> xdarkeningkrystals: I keep track of everytime you come for your usual coffee but I pretend to not notice because I'm shy
> 
> bringoutthedead: maybe hinatas the barista, and its her first day at work so shes nervous. Then naruto comes in and she does her best to not fuck up and because she nervous AND she finds him cute which makes things 10x harder maybe she fucks up his order, but he likes it better that way and keeps coming back for that wrong order.
> 
> naruhinalover18: Hinata is in a relationship with Toneri and wants out of it but can't find a way to leave until Naruto comes along. Or when Naruto sees Hinata isn't happy or possibly getting abused and wants to help her and they end up falling in love. A description I had in mind was "when a man loves a woman, he would do anything to make her his." Or when Hinata wants nothing to do with Naruto but he would not give up to make her his.
> 
> Sorry I haven't been updating as often. This summer has been crazy. I've been applying to medical schools and now I'll be returning to my university. But I'm not done with ToTN! And as always I really appreciate your support. The only type of currency I receive for my time are your comments and tags so if you could take a minute to let me know what you think I'd be extremely grateful.


	22. One-Shot 18: Memory Loss AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE YOU. Will I ever hear those words from your lips again?

 

The leaves looked sad and wilted. Defeated. The petals dull and pale.

He knelt in the grass, ignoring the early morning dew soaking through the fabric of his pants as he tended to the plants. The sunflower, one of Hinata's favorites, was in dire need of help.

Naruto frowned.

Just yesterday it was standing straight and tall, reaching for the suns rays.

Today it wept.

.

* * *

.

"Daddy, when's mommy coming back?"

.

* * *

.

_"Welcome back, Naruto-kun." Hinata greeted him from the hall, a towel in her hand, and a smile on her face._

_Naruto grinned, pulling off his shoes quickly, letting them fall in a messy, muddy heap before barreling down towards his waiting wife. He pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her hair._

_"I missed you, Hinata," he said, brushing his lips against the bare skin her short hair revealed to him._

_He cherished this moment with her, simple as it was. He briefly wished it could have been longer but in no ways was he upset by the interruption._

_He sensed them before he heard the pitter patter of their feet._

_They were upstairs when he had taken off his shoes. Their movements stopped when their mother had greeted him. They shifted as he moved towards her. Now they stumbled through the hall, ran down the stairs, shouting in excitement-_

_"Daddy!"_

_Naruto pulled away from Hinata, grinned, and gave her a quick, chaste kiss before turning on the spot, arms open wide._

_Boruto arrived first, sliding against the wooden floor. He clambered to his feet, smile not once faltering before jumping into the air. Naruto caught him with ease, muscles burning with exhaustion from his mission but his sons weight was nothing but pleasant._

_Himawari came next, moving as fast as her little legs could take her._

_He heard Hinata giggle behind him, mimicking their daughter. Her sock covered feet were a liability and both parents surged forward as she tumbled to the floor. But their brave little daughter just laughed and joined her brother in her father's arms. A soothing weight he'd gladly carry._

_"You're back!"_

_"I'm back."_

.

* * *

.

The eggs were charred.

Naruto cursed quietly to himself as he scraped away the inedible parts of the meal. He quickly cracked a few more into the pan, determined to give his children a proper breakfast. He didn't understand. He was doing fine these past few weeks. But today something just felt wrong. He couldn't place a finger on it but his heart felt heavy and his mind didn't stay still.

"What'cha making?"

Naruto glanced down as Boruto stood at his side on tiptoes, scrunching up his nose at the mess in the frying pan.

"Scrambled eggs," Naruto said, bumping him with his hip. "Get your sister. It's time for breakfast."

The ghost of a smile on the older blondes lip vanished as the smell of something burning filled the room.

.

* * *

.

_Naruto crawled into bed, utterly spent from that days training. His head sunk into the pillow and he pulled the soft blankets up to his chest as he watched Hinata roam the room. It was late and they kids were sound asleep in bed. She stripped off her outfit for the day and slipped on a comfortable pair of pajamas before flicking off the light and crawling into bed to join him. She pressed herself against his side, her hand resting on the solid plane of his chest, fingers wandering innocently before speaking._

_"I have a mission."_

_It was one of her first_ real _missions since Himawari was born. Of course she had been on plenty low ranked ones but those would be nothing compared to this one._

_"It's an A rank," she had explained. She ran her fingers down his chest, silently placating him with her touch._

_"An A rank can become in S rank in seconds," Naruto spoke lowly, knowing-_ understanding _the situation himself._

_"I already accepted."_

_He had his arm wrapped around her and unknowingly tightened his grip._

_"Okay," was all he could say._

_"Are you mad?" she asked quietly, tilting her head to look up at him. She noticed the way his jaw tensed and how stiff he felt in her grip._

_"No," he said truthfully. "I understand. I'm just…worried."_

_"I'll be careful," she said quickly._

_"I know you will," he said, finally looking down to meet her eyes. "It's the rest of the world that's unpredictable."_

_"Take care of the kids, okay?"_

_Naruto nodded. "Of course."_

_"I leave in three days." Naruto waited. There was more. "I can't give you details but the mission can range from a week to a month."_

_"A_ month _, Hinata?" Naruto asked, finally allowing his emotion to come through. He sounded exhausted, tired, and sad._

_"Or sooner. I don't know yet."_

_Naruto huffed, his blue eyes staring into her pale ones unwavering._

_"Come here," he said, pulling her atop of him. Their lips met and his kiss seared through her. His emotions, his feelings- his_ fear  _was hot on her skin. He showed her how he felt with every touch and caress. He burned himself onto her skin._

_._

* * *

_._

He knew something was wrong when he got a message to go the hospital.

He quickly dropped off his confused kids at their Grandpa Hiashi and Aunt Hanabi's home before rushing towards the place he knew Hinata would be.

He had a feeling but he wished he had been wrong.

"Where is she?" he asked as soon as he saw Sakura's familiar pink hair.

His friend only had to point before he burst through the door. He ignored the beeps from the machines and the strange wires connected to her as he approached her gingerly, quite unlike his previous behavior.

Naruto, broad shouldered, strong, capable of destroying mountains, cutting the moon in half, savior of the world-

 _She_  brought him to his knees.

"Hinata-" he croaked.

His chakra flared and he absorbed every minute detail he could about her but he sensed nothing perilous.

Then why?

"Physically she's healthy," Sakura's voice answered his unspoken question. "Do you know who else was on the mission with her?"

Naruto shook his head, mute. His eyes were still glued to Hinata's immobile body. He watched her chest rise and fall steadily. She was  _alive_.

"Who did this to her?" he asked, anger leaking into his words.

Sakura felt the pressure he exuded and almost took a step back.

"Ino," she answered.

His reaction was immediate. Surprise, confusion, fury-

"What?"

"Their mission went wrong," Sakura said. "It was either this or be captured."

"I don't understand."

"The enemies…I can't name," his friend said. "But they wanted information at any cost. Ino and Hinata would not allow it. So…they had a failsafe prepared."

"Just  _tell_  me," he snapped.

"Their memories…Ino invented a jutsu that wiped their memory. Wiped them of the things those people wanted to know just in case."

Naruto took Hinata's hand into his own, rubbing his thumb against her skin. "Okay, so they didn't get the information. And the two are back. Everything is okay?"

He knew things were never that easy.

"Ino is in a coma," Sakura said. "The strain was too much for her. Hinata brought her home. Chakra exhaustion is all this is."

Naruto felt his heart drop at the news, thinking of Sai and Inojin. And then he felt a little guilty feeling relief after hearing about Hinata's own prognosis.

"I'm sorry."

For some reason he remembered the wilted sunflowers and could still smell the burning breakfast.

.

* * *

.

The world was a blur when she first opened her eyes.

She saw pink.

"Sa-kura-"

Her throat felt hoarse and dry and she strained to sit up. Comforting hands held her by the shoulder, helping her upright.

"I'm so glad you're awake."

Hinata blinked rapidly. Her head felt as though it was smashed into a wall-several times. She almost laughed. In her line of work that wasn't completely implausible.

"What happened?" she asked as the world came into focus.

Sakura stood by her bedside, donning a white jacket, clipboard in hand. Her face was a mask of concern as she did a thorough check of her vitals. Hinata glanced around her hospital room, noticing a bouquet of bright flowers at the foot of her bed.

"You were on a mission," Sakura explained gently. "With Ino."

The dark haired woman frowned. "I don't remember…"

"That's perfectly reasonable," Sakura said, trying to soothe the Hyuga. "Ino had to wipe mission sensitive information from the both of you. I can see why you wouldn't remember."

Hinata nodded, looking down. She still felt defeated. Her eyes wandered to a glint on Sakura's hand. A ring.

"Oh, Sakura," she said with a gasp, holding out her hand to grasp her friends. "You're married!"

Hinata didn't notice Sakura's face fall. "I am…" She said slowly. "Say…Hinata. What-"

Shouting from somewhere in the hallway interrupted her train of thought.

"Sir, you can't-"

"She's  _awake_? And no one  _told_  me?"

"Please-"

"Get out of my way!"

Sakura grumbled, gently taking her hand away from Hinata. "One second," she said, smiling softly. Her facial expression changed immediately as she faced the door. Her eyebrows were pushed together and her lips pursed. She had noticed how a faint red appeared on Hinata's cheek when she heard the mans voice outside her door-

The door that just flew open.

The blonde tried to rush his way towards Hinata only to be pulled back by a vice like grip on his bicep.

" _Sakura!"_

"Naruto, just  _wait_ -"

Hinata watched the two with wide eyes. He looked different…stronger but…also weaker. Worn down. Worried. Sakura roughly pulled Naruto to the side and the man reluctantly tore his gaze away from her Hyuga ones.

"What?" he asked, exasperated. "Can't this wait?"

Sakura pulled Naruto down by the collar and whispered something in his ear. Hinata glanced down, not sure what this as all about. She didn't want to intrude on this intimate moment.

But her breath caught in her throat.

As she lowered her gaze she noticed something…Naruto…he had a gold band on his finger as well.

Hinata felt a knot in her throat as her fingers tightened around the thin hospital blankets. She knew she forgot some things but how much had she forgotten? Had she… had they… She could feel her heartbeat quicken and an annoying, repetitive beep started echoing in her ears. She realized too late that the other two in the room could  _see_  the emotional havoc that was being wrecked inside her as her heart beat erratically.

Sakura was beside her instantly, checking the screens.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" she asked, wondering why her heartbeat spiked so suddenly.

"No-nothing," she stuttered, taking a deep breath. It was all too much. Naruto was married? To  _whom_?

Naruto hadn't moved from the corner. When Hinata dared to glance over he looked crestfallen. He looked beat up and weary. As though he aged about ten years in this moment.

"Naruto-kun," she finally said, ignoring Sakura as she worked on her. "What are you doing here?"

_Was he here to see Sakura? Was he and Sakura…_

She tried not to let her emotions get the better of her. She was  _strong_.

He had perked at his name and approached her cautiously. "I came to see you, of course."

Hinata tilted her head. "Me?"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, you. Does that surprise you?"

Honestly, it didn't. He had visited her on occasion if he heard she was injured from a mission but she didn't  _feel_  hurt. Well, not physically.

"Naruto, would you mind giving us the room?" Sakura spoke, giving her close friend a reproachful yet wistful look.

"Sakura-"

"He can stay," Hinata spoke, her mouth moving before her mind could catch up. She wondered briefly why she said that. "I don't mind."

Naruto gave her a small, tender smile, which she returned, almost shyly.

She didn't understand.

Was that pain that crossed his face?

"Hinata, what's the last thing you remember?" Sakura asked, pulling up her clipboard once more.

"Waking up here," Hinata answered.

Naruto laughed and Hinata could feel a smile tugging at her lips.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "He still influences you, eh?" she muttered under her breath, teasing in her tone.

"I'm sorry?"

Sakura ignored her. "Before all this. What do you remember?"

Hinata stared at the mixture of yellow, orange, and pink flowers at the foot of her bed, thinking back. A faint red tinted her cheeks. She wanted to take back what she said about allowing Naruto in the room.

"Helping Naruto with his stump…"

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked, suddenly sharp.

Hinata tried to hide her face from view, grateful for her long hair-

Suddenly her fingers scrambled at her locks.

"My hair!" she exclaimed. With her whole world suddenly being flipped upside down she felt a little bit ridiculous to be agonizing over such a miniscule detail but- "My hair!"

"What's wrong with it?" Naruto finally spoke.

"It's…it's so  _short_." She looked up at their worrying faces, uncertainty clawing at her insides. "Sakura, please. What…how long…?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Naruto, hold her hand."

He didn't even question her. He moved forward, clasping his hand around hers and suddenly Hinata recalled the events during the war.

"I remember holding his hand during the fight against Madara," she whispered, looking at his bandaged fingers.

Wait.

"Your hand!" she exclaimed. "It's…"

"Hinata," Naruto said, voice rough. She looked up at his blue eyes, clouded with something she couldn't read. "Don't you remember-"

" _Naruto_." Sakura's voice was sharp as a kunai and her eyes even sharper. But she smiled at the woman before her. "So you remember the war. And after it."

Hinata nodded slowly. "I remember helping Naruto get used to having one arm…"

"And then?"

"And then…I woke up. Here."

Hinata looked from Sakura to Naruto, surprised to see tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.

That's when panic began to conquer her.

What was  _happening_?

.

* * *

.

They were alone.

Hinata fidgeted in her thin hospital gown, suddenly realizing she was practically naked and alone with the man she loved all her life. The man who could never be hers. His ring shined brightly. Almost mocking. You could tell how much love and care he put into taking care of it. If he loved the ring that much how much did he love his wife?

Hinata swallowed, wringing her hands together.

"Um, so…" she coughed. "Congratulations."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "For what?"

She gestured to his hand. "Getting married," she said, smiling faintly. It was a forced smile, he knew her well. But  _she_  didn't know that. "Your wife must be very lucky."

Naruto chuckled, combing his fingers through his hair. "I'm the lucky one."

Her heart fell. She didn't realize she could feel worse than she already did. She felt a ball in her throat but she refused to cry. She wouldn't.

"And me?" she asked, almost nervous.

"What about you?" he asked, leaning forward, eyes glued to her downcast face.

"Did I…Sakura tells me it's been eight or nine years or something since my last memory."

"Yeah," Naruto said. "Wow, that long huh?" He chuckled to himself.

"What are you thinking about?"

He looked at her, smiling sadly but ignored her question. "What were you asking?"

"Oh…" She was almost embarrassed to voice her question to  _him_. "Am I…did I marry someone too? And why isn't he here to see me?" She was blushing and she laughed nervously. "Ah, that's probably a really selfish thing for me to ask, huh? Maybe he's busy…maybe I didn't marry at all." She paused, thinking. If Naruto had married someone else what would she have done? What  _did_  she do?

"Who do you think you married?" Naruto asked.

Hinata turned to look at him. His voice was cold and a frown marred his face but genuine curiosity shone through. "Are you upset with me?"

"Ah…no. Not with you.  _Never_  with you. With the situation," he said, suddenly feeling guilty. It wasn't her fault.

A soft knocking came from the door and Sakura popped her head in.

"Time to change your clothes, Hinata," she said gently, trying to read the room. "Naruto, do you want to help her with the string?" she asked, clicking the door shut.

Naruto nodded and leaned forward. The act of undressing her was as easy as breathing to him but Hinata flinched and drew back.

"Na-naruto-kun, what…?"

Naruto recoiled, suddenly remember where he was. Or rather  _when_  Hinata was.

"You didn't tell her?" Sakura spoke, sounding surprised. "I would have thought-"

"I didn't know how she would take it," Naruto said stiffly, suddenly standing. "I'll be outside."

"Naruto-" Sakura moved to grab him but he shrugged her away, letting the door slam behind him.

Hinata winced. "Is he mad at me?"

"Mm. No…I think he's mad at himself."

"Why?"

A beat. Then-

"He wasn't able to protect his wife."

The silence in the room was deafening.

 _"What?"_  Hinata croaked.

"Oh, Hinata," she said softly. "There's so much beauty you've forgotten."

"I'm married to  _Naruto-kun_?"

"Honestly, who else?" her friend replied, laughing gently. "You've loved him forever."

"But… he loves me as well?" Hinata asked, almost scared to ask.

"That's for him to tell you," Sakura answered, smiling knowingly. "But…I can tell you he'd travel to the moon and back for you."

.

* * *

.

"We leave our rings at home for missions."

Indeed. Hinata noticed a faint circle of skin on her finger that was lighter than the rest.

.

* * *

.

The walk back home was silent. It wasn't anything he was used to. He'd be walking hand in hand with Hinata, chattering about the mission or what happened with the kids but this quietness  _screamed_  in his ears. It was deafening.

He had told Hinata as much as he could without overwhelming her. He allowed Boruto and Himawari to stay over at the Hyuga's, figuring he'd allow Hinata to adjust in her  _new_ home first instead.

"You sure you're okay with this?" he asked for the millionth time that night. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stay somewhere else…this might be a big change."

"I don't mind," she admitted. "Unless you'd rather I not…"

"Hinata, I can't imagine you anywhere else but in our home together."

His candid admission warmed her heart and she followed him inside the large home. She took off her shoes before stepping on the clean wooden floors, hesitating.

"The stairs to your right take you to the bedrooms," Naruto explained. "Living room is a little down this hallway towards the left. Kitchen as well. And my office over there." She watched him wave and point but still didn't move. "Are you hungry?"

"Mm, a little," she said with a shrug.

"Come," Naruto said, taking her by the hand. With a jolt she followed, feeling her cheeks go red. She was sure this was all normal to him but she still felt like the girl she was after the big war. "I think we have some leftovers and take out and ingredients lying around." He chuckled. "You're primarily the one that feeds us around here."

"Us?" They stopped in the living room and she took the chance to glance around. Different sized portraits hung on the walls and sat on shelves and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "Oh…  _Us_." Her  _kids_. Suddenly she felt remorse and guilt. "How could I forget…?"

"Hinata," Naruto said quickly, moving up to her. "It's not your fault."

"I-I," Hinata shut her eyes as tears fell freely down her face. She sought solace in Naruto's arms and it felt unmistakably familiar.

.

* * *

.

Naruto woke up to an empty bed.

Half asleep his fingers grasped against the sheets in search of warmth. A name mumbled from his lips as he opened bleary eyes searching for a familiar face. His line of sight fell on a memorable picture frame sitting on the bedside table. Their wedding day. A small smile graced his lips as he remembered that day.

Naruto rolled onto his back and stretched, yawning loudly. He idly scratched his stomach as he stared at the ceiling, his mind going back to the conversation with Sakura two weeks ago.

Two weeks and no change.

_"There's nothing you can do?" he had said, feeling dejected._

_"I'm sorry," Sakura said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ino…she's strong. The jutsu she used…we can't break it. I think only she can."_

_"But she's…" Naruto trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose as his head throbbed painfully._

_"I'm sorry," Sakura repeated._

_Naruto finally met her gaze and was suddenly racked with guilt. Sakura looked heartbroken. Ino was her friend-_ their _friend. And she was…_

_"It's okay," Naruto said, suddenly trying to comfort her. "We'll be okay. She'll be okay. It'll just take time right?"_

_Sakura sighed. "You can never know with things like this," she admitted heavily. But she wasn't sure if Naruto meant the situation with their comatose friend or the situation with his wife._ It'll just take time. _"And…" Sakura hesitated, looking conflicted._

_"And?" Naruto urged._

_Sakura signed, relenting. "And if Ino_ does  _wake up… who's to say she'll even remember her own jutsu? What if…" Sakura stopped, her voice catching in her throat._

 _"What if she's forgotten all of it," Naruto said slowly, understanding donning on him. "It's all up in the air." Everything was up in the air and Naruto suddenly felt like he had no arms to catch_ anything _with._

_Naruto bit his lip, eyes moving to the closed door that separated them from Hinata. She was alone. Confused. Lost._

Naruto opened his eyes, surprised that he fell asleep again. He groaned, sitting up and taking a few minutes before venturing down to the main room. He listened to the sounds of pots and pans and chattering voices, pausing to watch his family before taking a seat at the dining table beside Boruto.

"Morning Dad," Boruto said, picking at the food on his plate.

Naruto ruffled his son's hair. "Stop playing with your food."

"I don't want to eat the vegetables," Boruto said, scrunching his nose.

Naruto glanced up to catch Hinata's eye. She looked up from her son, her expression giving away nothing before giving him a fleeting a smile. She returned to the dishes, dancing around Himawari who lingered at her feet, watching what she did in awe.

The past several days had been…strange. They spent a few days alone before their kids insisted on coming home. And to be frank, Naruto missed them. The house was too quiet without them around. Hinata flitted around like a ghost. She was too nervous to completely settle in. Naruto did his best to try and make her feel comfortable but he had years of experience with her when she, for arguments sake, had none.

"Will you be returning to missions soon?"

Hinata took a seat beside him at the dining table, a cup of tea in hand. The kids had moved to the living room some time ago, the sound of their giggles drifting into the kitchen.

"Sakura said we're supposed to go about how we normally would," Hinata continued, picking at the porcelain in her hands. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to be stuck at home all day." She sounded nervous and Naruto instinctively moved to cup her hands, before pausing mere inches away.

"Stuck?" he said, chuckling lowly. "I love to be at home. Do you hear that music?"

"Music?" Hinata asked, glancing up at him, taking in his mischievous smile.

Naruto nodded towards the direction their kids were in. "Listen to them playing. They're happy. Laughing. It's…something I've always wanted."  _And you gave it to me_ , he wanted to say.

Hinata smiled. "It is nice."

"It's my favorite song."

.

* * *

.

Naruto dragged his heavy feet back towards his home, green plants welcoming him as he walked to the door. He was tired, dirty, and smelly and he wanted nothing more than to take a long, hot shower. He dropped his shoes haphazardly before wandering through his home in search for familiar faces. He was looking forward to his kids running up to him and giving him a hug as Hinata smiled from behind.

His face fell. A few more weeks passed and yet…

"Hello?" Naruto called, stifling a yawn as he looked through the open rooms. He sensed their chakra further back in their home and followed it, feeling it reinvigorate him- fill him with energy. He stopped at the sliding door leading to their garden in the back as he watched his family tend to their plants.

Not once did Naruto worry about how Hinata would act around their kids. Even when they first learned about her pregnancy he was sure she would be a natural. And she was. She still was. He watched as their kids laughed when she poked a dirt-covered finger on each of their cheeks, leaving a brown streak behind.

"Now you have three whiskers, just like your dad," she was saying as their kids laughed.

Naruto felt a tug in his heart. Yearning.

She was here. Alive. And they were  _trying_  but…

"Dad!"

Naruto slapped on a grin before sliding the door open, arms wide, ready to accept them.

.

* * *

.

Weeks ticked by. Another day. Naruto dragged himself downstairs, nose following the scent of a delicious breakfast and the sounds of his kids yammering away. With eyes still half shut he shuffled across the hardwood floor, yawning into his bandaged hand.

"'Morning," he mumbled, voice still deep from sleep. Hinata turned to greet him and he placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek before taking a seat at the dining table, blinking drowsily as he adjusted to being awake.

Another yawn.

Naruto glanced around the room, wondering why his kids stopped talking. He saw Boruto staring towards the kitchen, Himawari giggling sweetly.

"What?" Naruto questioned, following his gaze.

Hinata stood frozen, cheeks aflame, her fingers grazing at the spot he just- he just…

 _Oh, shit,_  Naruto thought, suddenly feeling  _wide_  awake.

"I think you broke mom," Boruto said, turning to glare at his father as if this was  _his_  fault.

It was.

"Out," Naruto mumbled, eyes still on Hinata who seemed to stiffen as more time went by.

"What?"

"Out!" Naruto said louder. "Please, Boruto. Take your sister and go upstairs."

With a lot of grumbling the young boy did as he was told, tugging his happy sister behind him. "Gross," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Hinata…" Naruto started slowly, getting up from his chair. "I shouldn't have- I forgot…"

Suddenly, as if reset, she shook her head, fists clenched into her apron. She bowed deeply, starting to apologize.

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. Of course  _she_  would be the one to apologize.  _He_  made a mistake and she-

Naruto signed, staring at the top of her head, how her short hair fanned around her face, the way her arms were stiff, back bent, shoulders trembling-

Wait. Shoulders trembling.

Naruto surged forward, grasping her gently, straightening her back up. He knew her. Even if she didn't know that-  _he knew her._

Sure enough, tears were gathered at the corners of her eyes and she continued to mumble quiet apologies.

"Shit," Naruto said, watching as pink spread across the bridge of her nose. "Hinata,  _please_  stop apologizing."

"I acted silly- I  _am_  acting silly," she babbled on nervously. "I shouldn't have- I assume- I know that was normal for you to- to- to  _kiss_  me and I  _froze_  and the kids saw and I probably ruined everything-"

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted, holding her tightly. "Please."

She stopped, finally meeting his eyes.

"I am  _mortified_ ," he admitted, chuckling nervously. "That I did that without you feeling comfortable, that is," he explained as a pained look crossed her face. "Don't you  _ever_  feel bad for our situation. This was  _my_  mistake. I was half asleep and my body just acted on it's own."

"I'm trying…I'm trying to do my best," Hinata whispered, looking shamefaced. "But…I'm a terrible wife."

"That's the stupidest thing you have ever said," Naruto said bluntly.

Hinata's face reddened.

"Hinata," Naruto continued, diving headfirst into the problem as always. "You're still pre Toneri you-"

"Who?"

Naruto ignored that but she noticed his expression took on an extremely disgruntled look for a brief second. "Doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head. "But  _I_ have to remember that all of this is new for you."

"I'm sorry," she said again, looking down. "You did it so casually," she said, and he noticed the tips of her ears redden.

"Did what?"

Hinata shifted nervously. "Kiss me."

Naruto chuckled. "Hinata, I don't know if you noticed or not but we did a lot more than kissing. We have two kids."

Hinata squeaked and her whole face lit up and Naruto suddenly felt ten years younger, memories of a shy Hinata flashing through his head.

"And I only kissed you on the cheek," Naruto continued, placing a gentle finger on her chin to force her eyes to meet his.

Hinata blushed, darting her eyes away. "You're teasing me," she said, biting her lips.

Naruto's hands moved to cup her cheeks; his thumb caressed the soft skin of her face.

"Hinata," Naruto said, eyes dark and voice deep. Suddenly Hinata found herself enthralled- enraptured by his gaze. She felt her throat go dry and Naruto's eyes were a deep,  _deep_  blue water that could quench her thirst. "I…I can't make you remember," he said,  _hating_ that fact. That  _helplessness_. She could feel his nervousness in the slight tremble of the hands so carefully stroking her face and the tenderness in his expression. "But if I had to I would do everything-  _start over_  with you again and again and  _again_ -"

And suddenly  _he_  was fighting back tears.

He whispered the  _agains_  over and over against her lips- his body curving down as if some unknown weight was pressed against him- all the worry and anxiety- all the fear of losing her – of her leaving – of the endless possibilities and the simple  _unknowing_  pushed down on him stronger than gravity ever could and he  _caved_ , encompassing her body with his and she gladly held him up.

.

* * *

.

Months passed.

It was all the same.

Hinata didn't remember.

.

* * *

.

What would you do if the one you love  _forgets_?

.

* * *

.

"I love you," he found himself saying one day as he left for a mission. It was so easy. As simple as breathing. There was no thought behind it- he simply  _did_.

But he saw the change on her face. It was immediate.

First shock, and it struck him in his heart that she even  _had_  to feel that. Was his younger self that bad? Did she suffer this much that the simple thought that he could love her was so much of a  _surprise_?

Then a simple acceptance as the corners of her eyes wrinkled as a beautiful smile donned her face. He knew then if he were touching her- if he was resting his head on her chest as he had done countless times before he would hear her heart beating erratically as it  _always_  did when she  _felt_  for him.

He stared at her a moment longer, biting his lip. He swallowed.

They had talked before.

She had insisted they try and go about things as they would have if…if she was the same.

So he smiled and repeated what he said.

"I love you."

.

* * *

.

Sometimes he wonders,  _am I not enough for you to remember?_

.

* * *

.

"The sunflower is blooming," Hinata noted as they stood side by side in the middle of their garden.

She stared at the beautiful flower proudly but he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"The kids should be awake soon," she said, turning to him, face glowing.

He leaned down and she tiptoed, her  _body_  reacting to him-  _remembering_  even if she didn't- quickly closing the distance between them.

It was soft, simple, and sweet.

"I'll make breakfast," Naruto said with a grin.

.

* * *

.

A year went by and they  _learned_  to  _live_.

.

* * *

.

What was that he thought of on the day Sakura told him about Hinata?

… _Things were never that easy._

.

* * *

.

"Ino is awake."

.

* * *

.

.

.

End.

.

* * *

.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been forever. Remember in the previous out-shot authors note I mentioned I was applying to medical school? Well, I got in! And now I've been super busy (and super lazy).
> 
> I still have over like 20 different one-shot drafts in my folder that I'll probably rarely get to but hey it's been months (10?) since the last update so there's always hope!
> 
> I hope you guys like this one as much as I did. As always your support is appreciated! Take care.
> 
> -Magma
> 
> P.S. Inspiration for this particular one-shot was based on a Kiba/Ino fanart by tiefrot I saw about three years ago. (Which means a skeleton of this fic has been sitting in my drafts for just as long! Crazy).


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